Waiting Between Memories
by Ryee
Summary: Everyone has their own story, and Rikku's is finally about to unfold. Perhaps the one person she wouldn't expect can fill the void in her heart. -RikkuxGippal [COMPLETE]
1. Starting Over

A/N: You know, I said it would take me a while to start a RikkuxGippal fic, but I just couldn't help myself. Tonight I was thinking about the plot for the story, and then it all came to me. So, let's go. =)

_DISCLAIMER:_ I don't own FINAL FANTASY X-2 or any of its characters. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of fun. I do, however own every other character not mentioned in FINAL FANTASY X-2. Thanks. =) **  
  
** **Waiting Between Memories** _  
By Ryee_

{{ Chapter 1: Starting Over }}

Rikku stared ahead at the colorful painting hanging unsteadily on the back wall, a removed expression on her face. The intricate colors and image of the tiny moogles walking through a forest was the only object in the room that caught her attention at that moment. She barely saw the painting lean to one side before it crashed loudly to the floor.  
  
Yuna jumped lightly, startled by the noise. She tilted her head to look at the back of the room at what had fallen.

"Oh no, it's not broken is it?" Yuna asked as she stood up from the chair to inspect the painting.  
  
"Well if it is, we can always replace it," came Paine's reply. She was sitting next to Rikku, her eyes closed as if in deep thought.  
  
Yuna threw an amused glance at her friend as she bent down to see if the painting was still intact. A tiny chip off the edge of the frame. Nothing too serious. At least the picture was still fine.  
  
The three girls were sitting around the small table in a hut they were currently renting in Kilika Island. Tidus had left on a short journey with Isaaru and he made sure Yuna would be comfortable and safe in the hut while he was away. The journey, Tidus had said, involved a short trip to Zanarkand, although Yuna was not sure what business the two had there.  
  
Leaving their long-time home on the Celsius, Brother and Buddy had accepted the girls' decision. They had assured the girls that the Celsius was always there for them if they ever needed a home, and they would never stop being the Gullwings no matter what.  
  
The trio had been staying in the little hut in the second district of Kilika Island for nearly a month now, and had begun to decorate the place with their own personal objects-the moogle painting being one of Rikku's personal decorations.  
  
"Why? You don't like the picture?" Yuna asked.  
  
Paine cracked one eye open before drifting her attention towards the Al Bhed girl who was sitting next to her.  
  
"Rikku, isn't that yours?" she asked the girl.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Paine sat up in the chair and propped her elbows on the table, regarding Rikku with one quizzical eyebrow.  
  
"I said, isn't that painting yours?" Paine repeated, pointing to the picture lying haphazardly on the ground.  
  
Rikku gazed over at the painting. Yuna was standing next to it, a concerned expression very evident on her face.  
"Rikku, is something the matter?" Yuna asked as she began to walk towards her cousin again.  
  
"Oh, hehe," Rikku laughed hesitantly. Her smile quickly faded as she met the gaze of her two friends. "I guess I'm just not feeling well," she continued, her voice dropping to almost a whisper as she looked down at her hands.  
  
"Are you sick?" Yuna asked, putting one hand on Rikku's forehead gently.  
  
She laughed softly at this action again and suddenly stood up. Paine and Yuna's eyes followed the Al Bhed as she began to walk away from the table.  
  
"I'm just going to take a little walk, okay?" Rikku said as she headed towards the door.  
  
Paine turned her shocked gaze from Rikku to Yuna as if to ask her what was up.  
  
Yuna didn't notice Paine's look, her eyes trailing after her cousin in deep worry.  
  
"What the hell was that all about?" Paine asked after the door had shut.  
  
"I...don't know. It's like she's bothered by something, but I just don't know what it could be..." Yuna trailed off, deeply concerned for Rikku.  
  
Paine shrugged and reached over to get the glass of juice she had on the table. She lifted the glass to her lips and sipped the drink thoughtfully before turning her attention to Yuna once more.  
  
"You know what I think?"  
  
Yuna glanced at Paine curiously, catching the smile that was twitching on her friend's lips.  
  
"What?" Yuna asked, her thoughts still on her cousin. She sat back down at the table and pushed her bangs out of her eyes.  
  
"Maybe Rikku finally has a crush..." Paine trailed off, a smile in her voice.  
  
Yuna's eyes flew to her friend in surprise.  
  
"A crush? Rikku?" she asked with a small laugh.  
  
"Hey, it could happen," Paine replied with a light chuckle. She set the glass down on the table once again, leaning back in the chair.  
  
It was Yuna's turn to regard Paine curiously.  
  
"Hm, I wonder..."  
  
=====  
  
The only sound in the forest was the soft crunching of pebbles and twigs under her small boots. Rikku tilted her face upwards and let the soft breeze tickle her face gently. Tiny beams of sunlight snuck in through the branches of the trees up above, allowing light to illuminate the dark pathway.  
  
Rikku brushed her long bangs out of her eyes and tucked the soft strands back into her bandana. She was walking down the back path of Kilika Forest, lost in deep thought. Her fingers occasionally stopped to pick the nearby flowers and no sooner she had a small bouquet in one hand.  
  
Although the others had no idea what she was feeling, Rikku knew that something was indeed bothering her. Hell, she didn't even know what was wrong with her. It was as if she had awakened one morning to find out that her once-carefree and cheerful nature had vanished-as if she was a different person altogether.  
  
Rikku sighed softly. It was true that she didn't take interest in what she usually loved, and she knew Yuna and Paine had noticed it too. Perhaps she was depressed. Yet she didn't know why.  
  
Rounding the corner, she kept her eyes fixed on the bouquet of flowers she held in her right hand. They were violet and white, almost reminding her of those flowers that bloomed at the Farplane Glen.  
  
No sooner had she raised her eyes up momentarily, that she collided rather ungracefully with a warm body. She fell backwards onto the ground, her back hitting the hard surface painfully.  
  
"Owww!!" Rikku exclaimed in pain. She rubbed her back, trying to relieve the stinging sensation from the impact. Not even bothering to raise her eyes to the person she had bumped into, she inspected her right leg and winced when she saw a rather large scrape on her skin from a nearby rock that had been sticking up from the ground.  
  
"Whoa! It's Cid's girl!" came a masculine voice.  
  
Rikku froze and slowly raised her eyes up to the person, her gaze lingering on his face. She knew that voice anywhere.  
  
"Gi-Gippal?!" she managed to choke out, stunned by his sudden appearance.  
  
He wore a light smile on his face as he regarded her lazily through his one eye. One hand rested on his hip as he stood over her casually.  
  
Rikku promptly began to stand from her embarrassment but winced again as she felt the pain on her right leg from the scrape. She limped gently as she glared at the other Al Bhed.  
  
Gippal's one good eye trailed down to her leg in concern.  
  
"Hey, are you ok?" he asked gently and bent down to inspect it.  
  
"Hey! Hey!" Rikku exclaimed and batted his hand away from her leg in embarrassment. She felt her face growing warm.  
  
Gippal straightened up and stood in front of her. He brushed a wayward strand away from his forehead.  
  
"Alrighty. If you don't want my help..." he trailed off with a small smile.  
  
"What are you doing here anyway?" Rikku asked suddenly, completely changing the subject.  
  
"Oh, me? You know, Al Bhed business," Gippal replied casually, waving one hand in the air.  
  
Rikku couldn't help but roll her eyes at his smugness. "Care to explain some more?" she asked.  
  
He sent her another smile as he gestured towards the temple behind them. Rikku squinted in the distance and saw that there were faint traces of machina parts lying on the stone steps.  
  
"We got a call from there sayin' they needed help with a machina or something..." Gippal continued. He looked down at Rikku's leg again, a trickle of blood catching his one good eye.  
  
"Hey, you're bleeding," he spoke gently and bent down to look at the wound in concern.  
  
Rikku looked down at herself as well, and frowned when she saw the blood, one red trickle trailing down her leg.  
  
"And whose fault was this, hm?" she asked him, trying to sound optimistic despite the pain she felt from the cut. She winced regardless.  
  
He said nothing. Rikku watched as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a white cloth. Reaching a hand to grasp her leg hesitantly, he raised his eyes to her as if making sure he had her approval. She stared down at him, a small blush creeping on her cheeks. Why the hell was she blushing so much today, anyway?  
  
"I'm uh...just going to tie this up ok? Just to stop the bleeding..." Gippal's voice interrupted.  
  
"I um...okay," she replied.  
  
Rikku watched as he wiped the blood from her leg and tied the wound in one swift motion. The bleeding had stopped and the pain had disappeared for the time being. When he was done, Gippal stood up and studied her.  
  
"Thanks..." Rikku spoke.  
  
He looked out at her with one eye. "Nah, it was my fault anyway. I uh...sorry 'bout that."  
  
"It's okay," Rikku replied. Even if she knew it was really her fault for not watching where she was walking, it was his solid back that had caused her to fall backwards. So in a way, it really was his fault. But she wasn't about to admit that to him.  
  
"So, you stayin' here now?" Gippal asked suddenly when he saw that she was able to stand securely on both feet again.  
  
"Oh, no. We're just renting a place here until Tidus comes back," Rikku answered quickly.  
  
Gippal raised an eyebrow at her. "We?"  
  
"Yeah. Paine and Yunie. We're just here temporarily. Nothing permanent," she explained again. Her eyes seemed distant as she answered him. Gippal couldn't help but frown a bit at her.  
  
"Oh, I see."  
  
Silence.  
  
"So how about you? Don't you need to get back to this 'Al Bhed' business?" Rikku asked him mockingly.  
  
He smiled at her.  
  
"Y'know you got a point. I really should head back now. There don't seem to be any fiends here anyway," Gippal replied, his eyes scanning the area one last time.  
  
Rikku nodded her head at him and watched as he began to walk away. She was about to head back too, when Gippal's voice spoke up.  
  
"Why don't you stop by the temple some time. You know. Just in case you're bored."  
  
Rikku raised an eyebrow at him fondly. "What are you guys doing there anyway?" she asked him curiously, the wind rustling her hair gently.  
  
"You wanna know? Stop by. We could use an extra hand for the machina," Gippal answered smoothly and began to walk away again. He didn't see the tongue Rikku stuck out at him.  
  
"Well maybe I won't show up then!" Rikku yelled at his retreating back.  
  
"Oh you'll show up. Trust me on that one," Gippal replied as he continued walking.  
  
Rikku could still hear him laughing in the distance. She pouted.  
  
"Ooooh. He makes me so mad!!"  
  
=====  
  
Yuna looked up as the door to the hut opened and Rikku finally came in.  
  
"Where did you go?" Paine asked from her position on the bed. She was polishing her sword carefully.  
  
"Just for a walk through the forest," Rikku replied as she began to remove her boots.  
  
Yuna watched her cousin in worry as her eyes trailed down to a white cloth that was tied on Rikku's lower leg. She instinctively bent down to touch Rikku's leg carefully.  
  
"Rikku! What happened to you?" Yuna asked, standing up from her seat.  
  
Paine looked up.  
  
"Oh this? Ehehe. Well you see...I uh...had an accident with Gippal- " Rikku began and was promptly interrupted.  
  
"Gippal?" Paine and Yuna asked at the same time, their eyes flying to the Al Bhed.  
  
"Yeah. I was clumsy and wasn't watching..." Rikku trailed off, her embarrassment from earlier returning. "I ran into him and scraped my leg when I fell," she continued.  
  
"How?" Paine asked as well. She set down her sword and stood up.  
  
"I guess I cut it on a rock," Rikku finished with a nervous laugh. She walked over to the nearby chair and sat down with a flop.  
  
Yuna stood back up and studied her cousin closely. "I guess Gippal was the one who helped you with this?" she asked, motioning to the cloth tied around Rikku's leg. Yuna couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Yeah, but it was his fault, you know," Rikku replied with a short laugh.  
  
"What's he doing here, anyway?" Paine suddenly asked from her position from the other side of the room.  
  
Rikku glanced up at her friend momentarily before bending down to untie the ribbons on her arms, preparing to retire for the night.  
  
"Um, I think he was saying somethin' about helping the temple with the old machina. I think they want them to disassemble it or something," Rikku replied as she set down the last ribbon on her bed.  
  
"Oh yeah. I forgot that there was still machina there. It's a good thing they were so willing to do it..." Paine trailed off, moving over to the couch and seating herself down. She reached over to shut the window next to her, the evening air becoming unusually chilly that night.  
  
"Really? Gippal's doing it for free?" Yuna asked as well.  
  
Rikku couldn't help but laugh softly at this. "Nah, he's prob'ly doin' it for a fee of course."  
  
"How could I forget. He's the ever-generous one, isn't he?" Paine replied sarcastically with a short roll of her ruby eyes.  
  
Yuna giggled at this and sat next to Paine before her expression suddenly turned serious as if she had just remembered something.  
  
"Um, Rikku. There's something Paine and I actually needed to tell you..." Yuna began.  
  
Rikku looked up at her cousin curiously. "What's up? Sounds serious."  
  
"Well Rikku, when you left earlier we got a call from Buddy and Brother. Tidus and Isaaru sent them a signal and it seems like they need some backup," Yuna explained hesitantly.  
  
"Did anything happen to them?" Rikku asked in alarm. The girl couldn't brush off that dark feeling at the edge of her conscience that Tidus and the others had gotten into trouble. She was never able to handle the worry that one of her friends could have been in danger.  
  
"We don't know yet, but we're going to go over there to make sure everything's ok," Paine replied.  
  
"Hm, so what's the plan girls?" Rikku asked them with a clap of her hands.  
  
Yuna and Paine looked at each other before their eyes landed on the Al Bhed. They smiled at the girl in silent apology.  
  
Rikku instantly recognized that expression on their faces. She stood up suddenly and pointed a finger at them as they smiled nervously at her.  
  
"Oh no, you don't! You guys can't leave me here all alone! I'm comin' with ya!" Rikku exclaimed in frustration with a stomp of her foot.  
  
"I wish we could, Rikku, but who would watch this place?" Paine replied, gesturing around the hut.  
  
Rikku was suddenly quiet. "I guess so...but..."  
  
"I'm sorry, Rikku. I hate to leave you here, but this is the Zanarkand Ruins. It's dangerous for only one of us to go," Yuna explained gently.  
  
"Yeah. And I don't want to stay here alone either. So I'm definitely going with Yuna," Paine replied with a laugh, causing Rikku to throw a glare at her friend.  
  
"Oooohh, fine!!!" the Al Bhed exclaimed, throwing her arms into the air and flopping belly first on her bed. The pillows flew into the air before falling back down again.  
  
Yuna and Paine laughed at this action and sat down on the girl's bed as well.  
  
"So when do you guys leave?" Rikku asked, leaning on her side with her head resting on one hand. She watched Yuna pick up one of Rikku's stuffed toys lying on the bed and hugged it gently to her chest.  
  
"We leave tomorrow morning," Yuna replied quietly. Rikku couldn't help but feel like she was missing out on the fun. This was the first time Paine and Yuna had left her alone.  
  
"We'll be back in about a week or so..." Paine added.  
  
Rikku blinked. "A week?!"  
  
Yuna reached over and patted Rikku's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry. It shouldn't take that long," she spoke as she shot Paine a look. Paine smiled innocently at her. "We'll try to make it as quick as possible so we can get back quickly, ok?" Yuna said gently.  
  
"Oh, alright," Rikku finally said. She let her back fall down onto the bed, her mind beginning to feel tired from the day's activities. It was almost ten.  
  
"Well, we have to leave early tomorrow, so we should get some rest," Yuna offered upon seeing her cousin begin to fall asleep.  
  
"'Night guys. Wake me up before you leave tomorrow, k?" Rikku mumbled from her position on the bed. The girl pulled a blanket up around herself.  
  
Paine and Yuna walked over to their beds and began to settle in as well.  
  
"Sure thing, Rikku. Goodnight," Paine responded with a stifled yawn. She pulled the blankets around herself as well and reached over to turn off the light.  
  
"Goodnight, you two," Yuna spoke before settling down into the deep peace of slumber.

=====

A/N: Chapter 2 coming soon.


	2. Longing

A/N: Alright. Things start to pick up in this chapter, so instead of telling you all. I'll just let you find out. ^^  
  
****  
  
{{ Chapter 2: Longing }}  
  
"Rikku, we're leaving now," a gentle voice whispered in the darkness.  
  
Turning herself over, she opened her eyes slowly and looked up to meet the faces of Yuna and Paine. They were both already dressed with their weapons hanging heavily on their waists.  
  
"Hm, wha' time ish it?" Rikku's sleep-filled voice spoke groggily. She rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed.  
  
"Just a little before dawn. The sun hasn't even come out yet," Yuna replied quietly.  
  
"Oh. Well geez, guys. You sure wanna leave early, doncha?" Rikku said. She flopped back down on the bed.  
  
Paine smiled, an action she was slowly starting to grow used to. The long time she had been spending with Yuna and Rikku was finally able to break her barriers. For once she wasn't afraid to show her lighter side-one that she had worked so hard to ignore.  
  
"Going to sleep the day away?" Paine asked the girl jokingly.  
  
Rikku suddenly sat up and pointed a finger at her friend. "Hey! I have things I need to do today too, y'know!"  
  
Yuna turned to her cousin curiously. "Oh? What are you doing today, Rikku?"  
  
The Al Bhed groaned inwardly. She had actually intended to take up Gippal's offer and visit him at the temple later that day. But for some reason Rikku felt hesitant in telling Yuna and Paine that. They must have seen the removed look on her face, but what was there to hide?  
  
"Well I was actually going to go to the temple today. Gippal invited me over so I-" Rikku began.  
  
"Really?" Yuna interrupted. Her eyes were suddenly very bright and interested in what Rikku was saying.  
  
"Yeah...they need help taking apart the old machina there so I thought I'd help 'em out."  
  
"Well give him my regards. I'd go over there myself, but we have bigger fish to fry," Paine suddenly said, directing her words towards Yuna.  
  
"Oh, that's right! We're going to be late!" Yuna spoke as she stood from the bed quickly. Rikku's eyes followed her cousin up as she watched Yuna lace her boots quickly.  
  
Paine turned to Rikku, causing the Al Bhed to wonder at her sudden seriousness.  
  
"Listen, Rikku. This is the first time we've left you alone and-" Paine began, but was cut off by Rikku.  
  
"Hey, I'm not a baby you know," the Al Bhed remarked with a roll of her eyes. She giggled at Paine, who shook her head in amusement.  
  
"Well, I guess you aren't, huh?" Paine replied apologetically. She walked past Rikku, then stopped, her back still turned. "Care to start acting like it for once?" she said to Rikku with a quick wink of one ruby eye.  
  
Yuna giggled as Rikku jumped off the bed and ran at Paine with a yell. The former summoner quickly placed herself between the two as Paine simply laughed at the Al Bhed.  
  
"Paine, you said it yourself. We're already late!" Yuna tried to speak through Rikku's yelling and Paine's laughing.  
  
"You're right," Paine chuckled softly. She reached over the ruffled the Al Bhed's hair. "You be careful."  
  
Rikku stopped and watched as Yuna and Paine began to head out the doorway.  
  
"Don't worry about me, girls. I'll be fine here. A week shouldn't be too long..." Rikku trailed off.  
  
Yuna paused in mid-step and turned to face Rikku again. "I'm sure it shouldn't take that long. A few days maybe, and I'm guessing we'll be back then," Yuna explained. She turned and gave her cousin a quick hug before pulling away. "Take care of yourself."  
  
Rikku smiled at her. "I will. You too," she added, looking over at Paine as well.  
  
Rikku walked over to the door and watched as Paine and Yuna headed out towards the dock. She could see their ship waiting on the other side. Further out into the horizon, the first signs of sunrise could be seen, the orange beams peaking out from across the ocean. Yuna stopped to wave at Rikku one last time before walking up the ramp to their boat.  
  
"Bye..." Rikku whispered after them with a short wave. She let her hand fall back down to her side again. Closing the door behind her, she wandered over to her bed and lay down.  
  
Silence.  
  
Here it was again. That same sense of loneliness she had been feeling. But it wasn't because Paine and Yuna had left her-no. This was something that Rikku couldn't quite understand. Lately she had felt as if there was just an portion of her life that was missing, and the sudden realization that she would be spending a week alone with no one else made this even clearer to her. Her heart felt heavy with the burden of having no one to call her own-no one to look forward to when she woke up in the morning...no one to make her smile brighter.  
  
Rikku suddenly bolted up from the bed, her mouth opened slightly from the thought that had just crossed her mind. So that was it. She could hardly believe that was what had been bothering her all this time. She was lonely because of not being in love?  
  
"But...why? It's never bothered me before..." Rikku spoke aloud to no one in particular. She lay back down and pulled one of her stuffed moogles to her chest, shutting her eyes in deep thought.  
  
Even after accompanying Yuna in her pilgrimage and after their last mission with Vegnagun, Rikku could admit that she had watched everyone around her beginning to find someone they could call their own. Tidus had returned to Yuna in a tear-filled reunion that not even the fayth could prevent, and Lulu and Wakka were happy with their own family. Hell, even Nooj had shown signs of succumbing to his unspoken word of love.  
  
There was something in the way it seemed as if time was passing her quietly by. People grew older, memories faded to the light of tomorrow, and hearts were being carried to love. Everyone had their own dreams and hopes- things in their lives that made them look forward to a new day. But Rikku- there was nothing like that for her.  
  
She sighed to herself. As much as Rikku loved Yuna and Paine, she knew that they would eventually move on to bigger and more promising events in their own lives, and that she would be left behind. She knew that both of them would always be there for her, but perhaps there was something more out there-something more that could fill that other loneliness in her heart.  
  
Setting aside the moogle, Rikku hauled herself up from the bed and let her feet touch the cold floor. No use spending the day thinking about these things. It was starting to depress her again.  
  
"Hm, it looks like the sun is coming out now," Rikku spoke quietly to herself. Reaching over the bed, she pulled the curtains back as the soft orange glow of the sunrise greeted her warmly.  
  
She turned and checked the time. It was a little past 7, and she could see a few villagers exiting their huts quietly, preparing to start the day. In the distance, Rikku could see an old man dragging his fishing pole out towards the docks. She looked back into the front room of their hut and began picking up the mess from the day before.  
  
Hoo boy. It was going to be a long week.  
  
***  
  
As she put away the last potion that had been lying quite carelessly on the ground, Rikku let herself fall down on the couch in exhaustion. She looked around the now-clean room and brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.  
  
"Might as well go to the temple now," Rikku said aloud, her eyes glancing at the clock. She hoped that the temple would provide her with something to do, at least for today. With what Gippal had told her about the machina, Rikku hoped it would keep her busy.  
  
Pulling her arm ribbons on, and securing the bandana around her head, she headed out the door and shut it tightly behind her.  
  
The weather was soothingly warm as Rikku headed down the steps and turned towards Kilika Forest. Her boots against the wooden bridge were the sound in the still morning air as she crossed it and into the green wilderness.  
  
Heading past the quiet area, Rikku began to see the faint outlines of the stone steps leading up to the temple. She began to pick up her pace a bit, beginning to sense the footsteps of a fiend behind her. Turning quickly to glance back, she saw that she was still alone.  
  
As Rikku headed up the long series of stairs to the temple grounds, she frowned as the light silhouette of a person caught her eye. He was standing just at the top of the temple stairs, the morning sun casting a shadow behind him. Drawing closer to the person, she raised an eyebrow in surprise as Gippal suddenly turned around to face her.  
  
"Ah, so you decided to show up. A bit early though, don't you think?"  
  
Rikku walked up the last few steps and made her way over to him. "Yeah, but I had nothing else planned for today since Yuna and Paine left."  
  
"Where'd they go off to?" Gippal asked her. He walked over to the edge of the temple steps and sat down, motioning for Rikku to join him.  
  
She nodded shortly and sat down with him as well before speaking.  
  
"They got a call from Tidus and Isaaru. Something about needing help at the Zanarkand Ruins," Rikku replied.  
  
"Sounds serious," Gippal spoke. He turned his head so his good eye was looking at her.  
  
"I hope they'll be ok..." Rikku trailed off. That feeling as if Paine and Yuna were walking right into trouble came back to her just then.  
  
Gippal's voice interrupted her line of thought when he spoke up again.  
  
"I'm sure it'll be alright. Paine won't let anything happen," he added with a wink. Gippal suddenly stood up, as Rikku's eyes followed him. "Well you up to it now?" he asked looking down at her.  
  
Rikku blinked. "Hm?"  
  
"The machina. We should get started on 'em. That's why you're here, right?" Gippal spoke. He smiled slowly.  
  
"Oh, right!" Rikku exclaimed jumping up from her position on the stairs. He seemed to watch her carefully as she stood up.  
  
"How's the leg?" he asked, his eyes eyeing the bandage.  
  
"It's ok now. Still hurts a bit, but nothing like yesterday," Rikku replied as they started the walk up to the temple.  
  
Kilika had grown quieter since the hostilities between the different factions died away. The machina that remained from the last skirmish was still present, and the people of Kilika wanted it taken away immediately. They didn't want to be reminded of that time when siding with one particular group had split families and caused them grief and worry.  
  
They were beginning to near the temple entrance. Rikku watched as some of the Al Bhed who were disassembling the machina looked up to acknowledge Gippal momentarily before returning to their work. Others nodded their heads and smiled at him as Gippal and Rikku walked by.  
  
"Just a few more, and we'll have this area done," Gippal announced confidently to the men, pausing briefly to inspect one of the stations.  
  
The men didn't respond but nodded their heads hesitantly at their leader. Rikku noticed that some of them were regarding her with strange looks as she trailed behind Gippal into the temple.  
  
As soon as they were out of hearing-range, Rikku nudged him gently. "Gippal, I can't help but notice that some of them aren't too happy to see me here..." she whispered to him quietly.  
  
Gippal slowed their pace and lowered his head a bit so he could hear her better. "What do you mean?" he whispered back.  
  
"I dunno...it just seems like they're all giving me strange...looks...or something," Rikku told him. She was feeling a bit foolish in telling him this.  
  
Gippal looked up behind Rikku to the men who were working on the machina. They all quickly averted their eyes and returned back to work as soon as they saw Gippal's gaze on them.  
  
"Lazy slackers..." Rikku heard Gippal mumble quietly. He turned to her and offered a short smile. "Forget about 'em. We gotta finish up inside."  
  
Rikku nodded her head. "Right."  
  
Gippal held the doorway open for her as Rikku stepped in. The first sight she noticed about the interior was that most of the machina she remembered from before had been cleared. There were only three of four large ones that were still waiting to be disassembled, but there weren't as many machina here as there were outside. She turned to face him curiously.  
  
"Hey Gippal. I thought there were more in here."  
  
"Yeah, but I took care of most of 'em yesterday," he simply replied, bending down to start on a larger-sized machina.  
  
Rikku rolled her eyes at his cockiness. "So why aren't you helping your men out there, mister?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
He looked up from the machina he had begun working on. "The machina in here are more complicated than the ones out there," Gippal answered simply with a sideways smile.  
  
"Are you saying that those guys can't handle these or something?" Rikku asked, taken aback by what he said.  
  
Gippal laughed suddenly, setting down one machina part next to his boot. He met her gaze, still half-chuckling. "Like I said, Rikku. You're always good for a laugh."  
  
She narrowed her eyes at him and huffed, moving over and hitting him none-too-gently on the arm. Gippal looked up at her, shock written clearly across face.  
  
"You're a big meanie," Rikku said, crossing her arms at him. She didn't know of what else to call him.  
  
"So are you gonna help me?" Gippal asked her. Rikku noticed that he seemed to soften his voice this time so that he was asking her nicely. It actually made her smile a bit.  
  
Rikku shook her head at him in amusement and sat down next to the other large machina across from him. "Alright, but you watch out," she giggled at him.  
  
"Watch out for what?" Gippal questioned.  
  
It was Rikku's turn to wink at him. "I can take these things apart faster than anyone," she declared.  
  
"That so?" Gippal asked. He stood up and dusted his hands off. "How about a race then. There's three machina left here. First one to take apart two wins."  
  
Rikku jumped up and jabbed a finger at his chest in time with her words. "You're on."  
  
Gippal smiled down at her, his eye gleaming in the dimly lit area. "Ready, go!" he suddenly exclaimed, dropping back down to his position next to his machina.  
  
"Hey! That's not fair! You're already halfway done with that one!" Rikku yelled at him.  
  
He laughed. "Better hurry! I only have one and a half left to go."  
  
Rikku didn't speak any more as she scrambled to the machina she left earlier. Her eyes quickly scanned the assembly and instantly recognized the arrangement of parts as a level three version. Simple. She knew how to take this level apart when she was seven years old. Its large size was only an illusion of how simple the model really was.  
  
Quickly taking apart the smaller components, Rikku suddenly started to see the core coming into view. The parts were relatively easy to remove, and she soon finished the first machina, dropping the core section with a soft clang. Gippal looked up at her this time.  
  
"One down. One left," Rikku declared with a slight grin. She saw that he was just wrapping up his work on the machina he had been working on even before their little race had begun.  
  
Gippal's eyes widened as she headed over to her last one. "A-Already?" he managed to utter in his disbelief.  
  
Rikku grinned and nodded once at him before bending down to work on the last machina. She glanced up at Gippal once more, and she saw that he had just finished his and had dashed to the machina on his left.  
  
"It's not over yet," Gippal said to her and began to work on his parts.  
  
Not wasting any more time, Rikku looked at the machina in front of her. This one was a little more complicated than the last. It had limbs going in all directions and some intersected with each other so one could not be removed without first loosening the other. No matter, she knew that she couldn't let Gippal win. Not today.  
  
Grasping the smallest part, Rikku quickly loosened it and the larger portion of the machina's body began to wiggle. She could hear Gippal setting aside his parts as well. From the increasing loudness of the sounds his parts were making, Rikku could tell that he was almost done as well. Her experience with disassembling machina had enabled her to hear how far a person was with the job just by the sound of the parts as it hit the ground. The louder the sound the part made as it was set aside, the closer the person got to the core.  
  
As soon as the opening between the body and the leg was large enough, Rikku pulled it out quickly and she knew that victory was hers. With the main portion of the machina removed, the other pieces would come off easily. Rikku smiled inwardly to herself. She glanced up at Gippal. He was working hard on his machine, never looking up at her.  
  
Rikku toyed with an idea in her mind. What if she let Gippal win this? She looked up at him again. He was locked in the heated battle of taking off the main body of his machina. He was almost done, but not like she was. True, he had annoyed her with his constant remarks of calling her "Cid's girl" or saying what a "good laugh" she was. Maybe it was her turn to laugh at him. But then again...  
  
She sat idly, moving her hands here and there, clinking parts together and making it seem as if she was still working. Rikku saw Gippal glance up at her momentarily before resuming his own work.  
  
Five minutes passed. She said nothing. He said nothing, but she could hear that he was still working because his parts were clinking. She was clinking her parts too.  
  
Another two minutes went by. Rikku couldn't help but wonder what the hell was taking him so long. He suddenly looked up to meet her gaze.  
  
"Not done yet, eh?"  
  
"I could say the same to you," Rikku replied smoothly.  
  
He seemed to falter with his words. "It's uh, taking longer than usual. Nothing I can't handle."  
  
Rikku looked down at her parts. The last limb was already detached. It was hanging loosely from the main body of the machina, waiting to be removed so the entire job could be finished. Her green eyes trailed over to Gippal's area and her mouth dropped open slightly.  
  
Looking closely, she could see that his machina had been ready to come apart any minute. Like her, one limb of the machina was hanging loosely, ready to be taken out. Rikku eyed him suspiciously. She saw him glance up at her this time.  
  
"Are you done?" she asked him, beginning to stand from her position on the cold ground.  
  
He stood up as well, walking over to examine her site. His eye regarded the wayward limb hanging loosely. "Well, what do you know. It seems like we have ourselves a stalemate here, eh?" Gippal spoke up. He raised a hand to ruffle her hair.  
  
Rikku gaped at him. "Hey!" she said and promptly reached up to set her hair back in place.  
  
He walked over to the doorway and pulled the heavy doors open. Sunlight rushed into the temple, chasing the dimness away. Rikku struggled to focus her eyes from the sudden change in light.  
  
"I'm starved. You coming?" Gippal offered suddenly, beginning to walk out the door.  
  
It took Rikku a moment to hear what he had asked. Her mind was elsewhere.  
  
"Oh, right! Coming!" she said, jogging over towards him.  
  
She brushed off the fact that Gippal had completely avoided the competition they had and how it ended. She laughed a bit out loud.  
  
Even to her, Rikku knew that Gippal could have easily won their little battle almost as much as she could have. It was as if he was giving her the chance to win too. But then again, she had planned to let him win as well.  
  
She smiled at the silliness of the thought and stepped out into the sunlight, jogging up to meet up with him.  
  
****  
  
A/N: This coupling is so fun and interesting to write about. ^_^ Chapter 3 coming soon. Oooh. I have a lot of things planned for that one! 


	3. Flames

{{ Chapter 3: Flames }}  
  
****  
  
"Hey! Wait up!"  
  
Gippal turned, seeing Rikku running up to him, panting. He had one hand resting on his hip as she came up.  
  
"Told you to hurry," he simply replied, beginning to walk again. A small smile tugged at his lips.  
  
"No you...didn't..." Rikku gasped, panting. She shoved him lightly. "What about your men back there, hm? Do they get a break too?"  
  
Gippal seemed to chuckle at this. He raised an eyebrow in the direction they had just come from. "They already had their break."  
  
"Ohhhh. Okay. If you say so," Rikku said. He didn't respond after this, but the two began to walk down the steps heading out towards the forest again.  
  
She and Gippal walked side by side, a significant amount of space between them. A moment of silence remained for a while before he started speaking again.  
  
"So...uh..." Gippal began.  
  
Rikku turned her head so she was looking at him. He was staring straight ahead but from her angle she couldn't see his good eye. Presently, the black patch greeted her.  
  
"What's up?" Rikku offered. She couldn't help but sense that something was bothering him.  
  
He suddenly stopped walking, prompting her to stop as well. Gippal scratched the back of his head. Rikku paused as she watched his facial expression. He seemed tense about something.  
  
"Know any place to eat around here?" he finally asked.  
  
Rikku felt her mouth drop open. "That's all you have to say?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"What did you want me to say?" Gippal asked defensively. He paced around a bit before turning to face her again. "You know, for Cid's girl, you can be a little strange sometimes."  
  
Rikku was fuming. "Oohh! Don't go bringing that up now! I have a name y'know!"  
  
Gippal laughed, pushing her back lightly in a playful manner. Rikku pouted up at him and crossed her arms, turning away.  
  
"Mad?" he asked, trying to look into her face. Rikku turned away some more as he continued to edge closer to her.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
A moment of quiet passed before Rikku suddenly heard him laughing loudly. She turned on her heel and faced him, one eyebrow raised in annoyance.  
  
"Well as much as I get a laugh from you, I really am starving," Gippal declared, rubbing his stomach thoughtfully. Beginning to walk down the steps, Rikku watched him pause and say something more. "So are you coming?"  
  
Rikku stood with her arms at her sides as she stood gaping at him. She didn't know what it was, but Gippal was currently annoying her at that moment. He wasn't so bad back at the temple, and his behavior during their little "race" even started to look questionable. The Al Bhed felt her eyes drifting towards him again. Gippal stood with one leg on the top step and another at the step below that one. He stood in that characteristic way that Rikku was starting to grow used to. She even thought it was a bit...cute. Her eyes widened at the thought. Shaking her head from the unwanted thoughts, Rikku forced herself to answer him.  
  
"Aha...uh. Y-Yeah, I'm coming!" she exclaimed and jogged over to him.  
  
Gippal smiled as she approached him. Rikku could only smile back in an awkward manner. He didn't seem to notice it.  
  
Holy chocobos. What the hell was wrong with her? Rikku could hardly believe that the wayward thought concerning the other Al Bhed who was presently walking next to her had just crossed her mind. Rikku could only guess that it was because she was feeling lonely since Paine and Yuna had left. But presently, she didn't know what she was thinking.  
  
"Hey, are you okay?"  
  
Rikku blinked as Gippal's voice suddenly cut through her thoughts.  
  
"Huh? What?"  
  
"I said, are you alright? You seem...off..." Gippal replied hesitantly. He stopped walking and faced her. "Is your leg botherin' you or something?"  
  
"Oh! No! No! Nothing like that! Heh..." Rikku responded frantically, waving both hands in front of her. "I uh-I guess I was just thinking..."  
  
"Mind if I ask what of?" Gippal asked casually. Rikku watched as his facial expression turned serious. She was about to reply but paused when he spoke again.  
  
"Hey, do you hear that?" he suddenly whispered, quickly scanning the area.  
  
Rikku looked around them slowly. The wind rustled the bushes that were directly behind them and she watched as a leaf fell next to her boot from a nearby tree up above. She could hear the faint songs of the birds in the trees, calm and soothing. Maybe a noise from a squatter monkey or two but...  
  
"Rikku! Do you see that?!" Gippal interrupted in alarm, pointing to the entrance of Kilika Village.  
  
She quickly turned around and squinted her eyes at the sight. And she felt her breath catch in shock.  
  
The brilliant colors of the reds and oranges of a raging fire greeted her disbelieving eyes. Her green orbs flew to the left and right of the bridge leading back to the village. Flames engulfed either side and Rikku could see frantic villagers hurrying about from behind the gates, their disbelieving shouts echoing across the forest. A thick smoke rose high into the blue morning sky, blocking the bright sunlight and casting an ominous feeling in the village.  
  
And it certainly was ominous sight.  
  
Her heart sank as she turned to Gippal. He was staring back at her with alarm evident on his face. Voice shaking, she forced herself to speak.  
  
"W-Who did this...?" she managed to choke out.  
  
"Rikku...we-" Gippal began.  
  
"NO! You know what? I'm sick of it!!"  
  
He paused and took a step towards her, but her voice interrupted him.  
  
"Our Home was burned once, and now this too? Why?! Tysh ed! This is the last time!!" Rikku exclaimed, her anger overflowing. Gippal could not speak.  
  
Her eyes glistening, he watched as Rikku tore her blazing eyes away from his and began to walk away towards the fire, her scarf trailing behind her.  
  
"Wait."  
  
Rikku paused, her feet kicking up dirt as she turned to face him. Gippal could see tears softly streaming down her cheeks.  
  
He took a step towards her before raising his thumb hesitantly to brush her warm tears away. Through her tears, he saw her eyes widen slightly as his finger touched her face.  
  
"We have to save those villagers, Rikku. There's no time!"  
  
Trying to recompose herself, she nodded, trying to brush away her anger for the time being. Before she could even open her mouth to reply, her heart leaped as Gippal bent down to grasp her hand in his and began to run, causing Rikku to quicken her steps to keep up with him.  
  
The looming fire danced before them as the two approached the village gates. Rikku felt Gippal release her hand.  
  
"Young man! Please help us!! The gate won't open!!!" a voice shouted from behind them.  
  
Gippal's eyes flew to the gate. Seeing an old man's face, he hurried to him. His face was pressed between the small gap in the doorway and Rikku noticed that it was the old man she had seen earlier that morning at the fishing docks.  
  
"There's more of us behind here! Please!!" the man continued to shout. He began to kick the gate, shaking the frames wildly.  
  
Rikku could hear more villagers screaming from behind the gate. Her legs began to feel weak and the smoke from the fire around them drifted through her nose, causing her lungs to burn. She began to cough violently. Her eyes watered from the smoke and the only air she could breathe was the smoke-filled atmosphere around them.  
  
"Gi-p...pal..." she uttered hoarsely. He turned around to face her.  
  
"Rikku...ah, damn," Gippal coughed as well. He struggled to see through the thick smoke that encircled them. He could see Rikku's yellow scarf as she stood past the smoke before he heard a thud.  
  
"Rikku! Hey!" Gippal exclaimed upon hearing the sound. His eyes darted frantically between Rikku's collapsed body and the villagers screaming from behind the gates. Flames danced wildly about the huts, swallowing the fragile foundations easily.  
  
Hand shaking, Gippal remembered the communication device that was hanging on his waist. He pressed hard on the button, struggling to find his voice.  
  
"Kad du dra vnuhd uv dra vunacd huf! Drana'c y vena rana, yht dra kydac fuh'd ubah! Fa ryja uha bancuh fru'c tufh!"he yelled into the mouthpiece.  
  
Without wasting another moment, he quickly ran over to Rikku's body and picked her up. Running quickly to the other side of the bridge, he set her down on the grass softly before sprinting back to the gate. Wiping away the perspiration from his brow, Gippal reached behind him and grabbed a small dagger that he kept with him. He struck the metal lock with one blow. No good.  
  
"Please hurry!" the villagers screamed behind the gate.  
  
"Trying to..." his weak voice spoke.  
  
"Gippal!! We're here!!" voices shouted. Footsteps stampeded across the bridge. Gippal was having a hard time keeping his mind clear as he tried to give orders to his men.  
  
He struggled to turn around, the smoke clouding his vision and his lungs. Gippal watched as his men approached with the freezing machines.  
  
A bang snapped Gippal out of his haziness for a moment as the villagers rushed past him and towards the forest. The gate was finally open. Villagers spilled out from behind it, running about wildly.  
  
"Everyone hurry! Run into the forest! We're going to freeze this fire!!!" Gippal heard one of his men shout. Screams of terror and the endless footsteps echoed across the bridge.  
  
Gippal stood there, lightheaded.  
  
One of his other men approached him, goggles covering his eyes. "Boss! Get out of here! We can handle this...you need to-"  
  
And his vision went black.  
  
***  
  
"Mmm..."  
  
"Are you awake now...?" a male voice whispered softly.  
  
"Mmmfhh...ah," Rikku managed to utter as she tried to move her body. All her limbs ached. She could smell smoke. The thought immediately caused her to sit up in shock.  
  
"The fire?! What happened?" she demanded, eyes wide open.  
  
"It's been taken care of. All the villagers were safely evacuated and they're inside the temple getting treatment now," Gippal answered quietly. He was sitting in a chair next to the bed that she was laying on.  
  
Rikku maintained her position, trying to sit up. But it was no use. Dizziness washed over her mind again and she found herself dropping back down, her eyes not focusing.  
  
"Whoa! You alright?" Gippal exclaimed, immediately standing up and rushing to her side.  
  
She opened her eyes and stared up at him with half-lidded eyes. His face had traces of soot from the fire as his bright eyes regarded her worriedly.  
  
"Just a little dizzy. Nothing I can't handle," she told him, trying to offer a smile.  
  
He said nothing. She watched as his eyes quickly scanned her face once more before he moved away and sat down in the chair again. His face remained stern as he moved his gaze away from her.  
  
"They told me it was the Guado who did it," Gippal spoke after a while.  
  
Rikku's eyes widened. "The Guado? B-But why?"  
  
"I don't know. But my men found a sphere after the smoke cleared. One recognized a small Guado insignia that was almost hidden. They tried playing it...but nothing happened," Gippal explained. He sat with his arms crossed.  
  
"A sphere...? Again?" Rikku whispered. She slowly forced herself to sit up more so she could see him.  
  
"What do you mean 'again'"? Gippal asked quietly. He turned his eyes to her this time.  
  
Rikku sighed. "It's just that my last mission with Yunie and Paine started when a sphere was found too. The uh...the one with Shuyin..."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Gippal said nothing after that and Rikku noticed for the first time that they were inside an airship. She was on a bed with deep red sheets and the walls of the room had various drawings and designs of machina Rikku recognized. A solitary window was to the right of the bed, rays of sunlight providing a bit of light for the room.  
  
"Where are we?" Rikku decided to ask. Gippal looked up at her.  
  
"Oh, we're in my airship. This's my bedroom..." he seemed to trail off before picking up again. "You uh, didn't wake up for a while, so I carried you here. Hope you don't mind-" Gippal continued.  
  
"Oh no! It's totally okay. I mean, you helped me and all so I..." Rikku began but paused as Gippal returned her gaze. She struggled to find her words again but managed to after a while.  
  
"I...um. Thank you."  
  
Gippal seemed to smile. "No problem."  
  
A sudden knock interrupted them.  
  
"It's open," Gippal answered in the direction of the door.  
  
Rikku watched as a rather nervous Al Bhed entered the room. She saw his eyes linger on her for a moment before Gippal's voice spoke up.  
  
"Well? What's the situation?" Gippal asked him.  
  
The other man seemed to jump slightly at the sound of his voice. "Oh! Sir! The uh, the sphere! We found new information about it! It uh, seems to have been recorded somewhere on the Thunder Plains!" the Al Bhed responded rather loudly.  
  
Rikku saw that Gippal was trying to hold back his laughter. This young man stood very stiffly, spoke in an unusually loud tone, and seemed very nervous. Rikku guessed this guy was a rookie.  
  
"Alright. Tell the others I'm on it," Gippal began as he stood up and walked towards the man.  
  
The young Al Bhed began to salute but paused, realizing he didn't know how to salute. He simply bowed quickly before heading towards the door again. Rikku felt a smile tugging at her lips as she watched them.  
  
"Oh, and don't worry," Gippal spoke. The other man froze in his steps and turned to face Gippal with a rather frightened expression on his face.  
  
"Don't worry," Gippal repeated again. "We don't do salutes around here anyway," he laughed.  
  
Rikku laughed softly as well.  
  
The young man looked back and forth between Gippal and Rikku before deciding that it really was a joke and that it was fine for him to laugh with them.  
  
"YES SIR!" the man spoke again before finally heading out the door. Gippal shut it behind him and turned to face Rikku. He scratched the back of his head, smiling.  
  
"That's the kind of stuff I gotta deal with sometimes," Gippal spoke. He sat down in the chair again, his gaze drifting over to Rikku.  
  
"He seemed really nervous or something," Rikku replied. She smiled. "But he was pretty funny."  
  
Gippal couldn't help but smile as well. He watched as Rikku moved so that her legs were dangling off the bed.  
  
"So um...what's the plan?" Rikku asked after a while.  
  
He stood up and moved over to the mirror that was hanging on the other side of the wall. Rikku saw him wipe the soot off his face before turning to face her.  
  
"Rikku, it's not safe here," Gippal replied seriously.  
  
She stood up. "That sphere...if I can somehow figure out how it plays, maybe I can get a clue to who did this to Kilika..." Rikku began.  
  
"Just you?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Gippal chuckled softly and flopped down on the couch on the other side of the room. He regarded her through one lazy eye.  
  
"Pretty tough goin' out there on your own, aren't ya?" he asked with a sideways grin.  
  
Rikku frowned at him. "Hey, what do you mean by that?"  
  
He sighed. "I'm just sayin. If you plan to go out there and catch these guys, you don't wanna go alone. It's really dangerous out there if you wanna go solo," Gippal explained quietly, one hand brushing through his hair.  
  
"You can't go alone," he stated.  
  
She sat down, realizing he was right. Since Yuna and Paine were gone, there was nobody there to help her. Rikku paused at the thought. Their hut. If Rikku hadn't left the hut that morning to help Gippal, she could have been trapped in that fire with the villagers. No one would have helped them open the gate since there would have been no reason for Gippal to go out into the forest.  
  
She realized that Gippal's invitation to meet him that morning was responsible that she was still alive at that moment. Her green eyes rose to meet his.  
  
"So who can help me now?" Rikku whispered quietly. She let her eyes drift down and away from his. No matter what, she needed to go out there and discover who did this to Kilika. The village had already been wiped out once and it pained her that the fire destroyed part of the village again.  
  
Gippal stood up and Rikku raised her gaze at him again as he stopped in front of her.  
  
"Me."  
  
***  
  
Translations: "Kad du dra vnuhd uv dra vunacd huf! Drana'c y vena rana, yht dra kydac fuh'd ubah! Fa ryja uha bancuh fru'c tufh!" - ("Get to the front of the forest now! There's a fire here, and the gates won't open! We have one person who's down!")  
  
A/N: This chapter was fun. ^^ Sorry it took a while to get up. I was busy with school so my schedule was rather busy. I'll try to get Chapter 4 up sooner, ok?  
  
Thanks again for the wonderful reviews and support from you all! =) 


	4. Journey of the Heart

A/N: Whew, finally got around to starting this chapter. ;_; I noticed that it's taken me longer to get these chapters out than I intended. I'm glad you all have the patience for me. ^^;;  
  
{{ Chapter 4: Journey of the Heart }}  
  
***  
  
Rikku felt her pulse quicken as Gippal watched her, his gaze penetrating.  
  
"Wh-what do you mean? You're actually thinking of coming along?" she managed to utter in shock. Gippal seemed to laugh at this.  
  
"You sound surprised," he replied with ease. Seating himself down next to her on the bed, Gippal kicked off his boots and raised his legs on the mattress, leaning back against the pillows that he had propped up earlier. Rikku watched him in disbelief, amazed at how calm he seemed towards the situation.  
  
She saw that one of his legs was almost touching the bare skin of her own. Catching this, she tried to discreetly move herself away in embarrassment. Rikku could feel her face flaming, and she sincerely hoped Gippal hadn't noticed.  
  
"Do you think you can handle it out there on your own?" he asked again, his tone more serious.  
  
"Hey! I helped defeat Vegnagun, y'know!" Rikku replied defensively. She crossed her arms at him, her anger getting the best of her. It didn't seem like he thought she could survive out there.  
  
Rikku felt Gippal shift on the bed as he moved closer to her.  
  
"That's my point, Rikku. You only "helped." You didn't beat it on your own, so you need someone to help you now, and—"  
  
"You know what? I'm sick of hearing that!" Rikku suddenly interrupted, her voice rising sharply. She tore her gaze away from him.  
  
Gippal froze at the tone of her voice and decided to stop. He sat up so he was sitting next to her now. His eye looked over her face hesitantly. He could see her eyes beginning to water.  
  
"Hey, what's wrong? I was only trying to point out that—"  
  
"No, you don't understand, Gippal! You can never understand..." Rikku interrupted again. Her voice had lowered this time and Gippal almost didn't hear her last statement. His eyes searched her face in confusion, trying to figure out what had caused this sudden outburst from her. She was always so cheerful and happy—  
  
"Everyone always thinks that good ol' Rikku will always be happy and smiling. No one ever thinks I'm good enough for anything else besides being a sidekick, or...or just for backup," Rikku whispered. Her voice shook this time.  
  
Gippal said nothing, his face serious as he listened to her words. He looked down at his own boots, hating himself for causing this reaction from her.  
  
After a brief pause, he heard Rikku speak again, slowly this time.  
  
"Since the beginning, I've always been the one who watched out for everyone...the one who always worried when no one else did. I was always the one who tried to make people smile when they were sad—the one who told them that everything was going to be ok even when I knew it wasn't. Everything I could do to see people smile, I did. Sometimes it hurt me that I had to lie to them just so their sadness would go away. I told them that...just because I knew how much it could take their pain away...if only for a little while. I did all that and more...and you know what?" Rikku asked quietly.  
  
She turned to him this time, her eyes shining with tears.  
  
Gippal felt his heart tear at the sight of her face, her shaking words and pain-filled eyes cutting deep within him. He forced himself to meet her gaze though.  
  
"In all my years here in Spira...no person has ever done anything like that to me, Gippal. Nobody. Not my father, not my brother, not even Yuna or Paine..." Rikku whispered, her voice cracking. Tears flowed down her face freely as she could no longer control her feelings. She raised a hand to wipe her tears hastily away, trying to recompose herself. "I know I shouldn't complain about such a stupid thing like this, but sometimes I feel so lonely inside...sometimes I just want to feel as if I have some other purpose in this world. Something I can hold onto and look forward to the next day...I've always felt alone..."  
  
"Rikku..."  
  
She raised her eyes up to his, and she knew she looked like hell. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she knew her face was swollen from her sobbing. Turning herself away from him, Rikku wiped her tears away, suddenly feeling foolish that she had reacted this way towards him. He must have thought she was crazy now.  
  
"You know what, Gippal. Forget it. I'm sorry I cried in front of you like this...I—"  
  
"No, Rikku. You don't have to say it," Gippal suddenly said to her. He stood from the bed and sat down in the chair that was in front of Rikku so he could fully face her. She still refused to meet his gaze.  
  
"You don't need to apologize at all. If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you..." he continued. She raised her eyes to meet his this time and Gippal found the courage to speak some more. It hurt him to see her like this. And he knew he was partly to blame.  
  
"You know. You've made me realize something about myself, Rikku," he chuckled lightly before his tone turned serious. She met his gaze with her own.  
  
He scratched the back of his head before continuing. "All my life it's always been machina this, machina that. When I was a kid, I was already the youngest one who knew everything there was about machina. I even designed a few myself..." he trailed off for a moment, his good eye looking at the machina plans hanging around the room.  
  
"I've uh...never really been too good at uh, showing my feelings. To be honest, I think I was too oblivious to anything else around me besides machina. When they made me the leader of the faction, it's like I had to grow up quicker than I really was. Hell, I'm only eighteen," Gippal spoke. He saw that Rikku's tears had stopped and she was now listening to him, her eyes clearer than before.  
  
"I never really had time to talk about my feelings or any of that. But I think I'm finally starting to realize who I really am. On the outside I guess I...try to keep that tough guy attitude even if things are exploding all around me, y'know? I try to joke around with everyone, even if I don't always feel that way in the inside..." he seemed to trail off at this point.  
  
"...I'm...sorry, Gippal," Rikku spoke softly when she heard him pause.  
  
Gippal turned to her with a light smile. "Nah, don't be sorry 'bout me. None of this is your fault. If anyone's to blame, I blame myself. What you told me just now makes me remember all the times my mother used to comfort me...I guess I took her love for granted—and I regret it now that she's gone," Gippal said after a while.  
  
A pause.  
  
"I guess we're sorta similar then," Rikku replied quietly. She looked down at her hands, feeling Gippal's gaze on her.  
  
After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.  
  
"I guess we are..."  
  
A few more seconds of quiet passed between them, neither knowing what else to say to each other. A gentle knock at the door caused them both to look up.  
  
Gippal promptly stood from the bed and brushed himself off.  
  
"Who is it?" he asked in the direction of the door.  
  
"We're awaiting your orders, sir," came an Al Bhed's voice from the other side.  
  
Gippal paused and thought to himself before raising his head to reply.  
  
"Guadosalam. If we start now, we can make it by sunset," Gippal replied firmly. He turned his gaze to Rikku, who was staring back at him. He offered her a reassuring smile. "Guess our journey starts here, doesn't it?"  
  
Rikku smiled back, the familiar warmth of her green eyes returning as she met his gaze. "You drive a hard bargain."  
  
Gippal simply nodded in response and wandered over to the chair again, feeling the airship's engines starting up. He sat down and let his one eye stare out into the window, the warm rays of light soothing him.  
  
***  
  
"How many more hours, Yuna?"  
  
"According to the captain, we should be arriving to Macalania Forest in about three more hours," Yuna replied.  
  
Paine groaned. "Macalania? Isn't that place dead already?"  
  
Yuna couldn't help but giggle gently at her friend's blunt words.  
  
"Well it's dying, yes, but it IS the closest to Zanarkand..."  
  
"You have a point...but ah, damn. If we were on the Celsius, we would've already been there by now," Paine replied.  
  
Yuna didn't answer to this. Thoughts of her old home with Brother, Buddy, and Shinra caused her heart to ache. She still remembered the pained look on Brother's face when she told them they were leaving. Buddy didn't understand why they wanted to leave. Since Shinra's strange disappearance after Vegnagun was destroyed, the two men didn't want to lose the other members of the Gullwings. But...it happened. In the end, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine had left their familiar home on the Celsius.  
  
As much as she loved it there, time passed and Yuna just wanted to stay in one place that didn't involve remaining in the air. She knew it hurt Buddy and Brother, but the two men had let them go with reassuring smiles, saying that everything was going to be ok.  
  
Paine's words cut through her thoughts. "You okay, Yuna?"  
  
She turned to face her friend and smiled softly. "I'm fine."  
  
***  
  
Rikku sat facing Gippal, her green eyes watching him curiously.  
  
Her sudden outburst earlier was just now sinking in, and she was slowly accepting the fact that she had just cried in front of him. The last person Rikku cried in front of was Yuna, and that was two years ago during the pilgrimage. She paused at the thought. Two years. Rikku hadn't cried in two years until now.  
  
Her gaze traveled to Gippal. He was staring out the window with a removed expression on his face. He didn't seem to see her at that moment.  
  
What he had said earlier about her only "helping" and never really doing anything for herself caused her to pause. Although Rikku enjoyed her missions with the Gullwings, that emptiness inside her continued to haunt her—a constant struggle within that she didn't quite understand. What really bothered her? Why did Gippal's words cause her to react so angrily?  
  
Rikku groaned softly in her own confusion and dropped down on the bed. Gippal looked over at her.  
  
"Something the matter?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing, nothing," Rikku replied from her position on the bed.  
  
"Ok. If you say so," Gippal responded. Rikku could hear traces of a smile in his voice and she sat up, meeting his gaze.  
  
"Hey, what's so funny?" she decided to ask.  
  
Gippal smiled a little more this time as Rikku continued to glare at him in confusion.  
  
"It's just that...well...your hair is..."  
  
Rikku jumped off the bed and stood up, her hands going up into her hair instinctively. "What? What about my hair...oh..." she said softly, realizing what he was laughing at.  
  
Gippal smiled back at her, the grin widening as Rikku rushed over to the small mirror on the other side of the room. A bubble of laughter escaped his lips as he saw Rikku's reflection from his position on the chair.  
  
The girl's hair stuck out wildly in all directions, strands coming loose from her blue bandana. Gippal turned his head so he could fully see her with his good eye.  
  
With a groan, he watched as Rikku raised her arms up to her hair and untied the bandana, letting her long hair and braids spill down her back. His eyes widened at the sight and he felt his mouth dropping slowly at her long hair. This was the first time he saw her hair out of the confines of the bandana. He couldn't seem to tear his gaze away.  
  
Rikku unclasped the pins that held her braids up and she slowly began to straighten the strands again with her fingers. From her position in front of the mirror, she could see Gippal's reflection. He was watching her.  
  
She turned around to face him, her golden locks spilling down her back. "May I ask what you are looking at?" Rikku asked playfully.  
  
It took Gippal a moment to respond, his gaze unmoving as the long strands framed her face. He shook his thoughts away.  
  
"I uh. It's just that I've never seen you with your hair like...this..." Gippal managed to respond after a while.  
  
Rikku raised an eyebrow at him and turned back to the mirror, not quite knowing how to respond to his comment. She suddenly began to feel very self- conscious knowing that Gippal had been watching her. Quickly putting her long braids and strands up into place again, she began to reach over for the blue bandana.  
  
"Don't take this the wrong way, but...uh..." Gippal spoke up from behind her.  
  
She looked at him through their reflections in the mirror. Still holding her hair up with both hands, Rikku turned to face him.  
  
"Hm? What is it?"  
  
Gippal paused again. "You should really think of leaving your hair down like that. It uh...suits you."  
  
Rikku couldn't help but laugh out loud, prompting Gippal to stand up in surprise.  
  
"What's so...funny?" he asked her, crossing his arms.  
  
She quickly tied the bandana around her head, setting her hair back into its normal style. "You know Gippal. You can make fun of me once, but now it's just getting old," Rikku giggled.  
  
"Huh? What are you talkin' about?" Gippal asked in confusion. He watched as she turned around, a small smile on her face.  
  
She rolled her eyes and walked past him, seating herself on his bed again. Bending down to retrieve her boots, Rikku quietly pulled them on.  
  
"I don't know what you're talkin' about. Care to explain?" Gippal continued. He wasn't going to let her get away with whatever the hell she was saying. All he did was give her a simple compliment, right?  
  
"My hair. You laughed at me because it was messy. So I fixed it now. I'm not letting you make fun of me some more by keeping it down," Rikku replied, still laughing softly. Straightening her arm ribbons, she stood up and faced him.  
  
Gippal stood his ground, completely caught off guard at what she had said. "That's not what I meant..." he began.  
  
"Fine, fine. Whatever you say..." Rikku responded as she cut him off.  
  
Without waiting for his reply, she walked to the door and opened it, stepping outside.  
  
"I'll be up at the deck if you need me..." she told him.  
  
Gippal watched as the door shut behind her. He scratched the back of his head, a habit he was doing so much lately. Total confusion washed over him at what had just happened, but he decided to brush it away. Deciding to head to the bridge to give the men his orders, he exited his bedroom as well.  
  
***  
  
Rikku walked slowly to the elevator, making her way up to sit on the deck of the airship. She marveled at how similar the interior of Gippal's airship was to the Celsius. Almost everything was the same, except that this airship was bigger and had three cabins instead of one.  
  
As the elevator arrived to the top, Rikku found herself wandering over to the balcony of the deck. She let herself lean against the railings, the wind tousling her hair. It was a little past noon, but the air was surprisingly cool. She guessed they were approaching Guadosalam already.  
  
Her eyes gazed out into the endless blue, the white clouds passing her by. She found her thoughts drifting back to the conversation she had with Gippal moments ago. For some reason, his words still echoed in her mind. She didn't know why it had bothered her that he commented upon her hair. It seemed like such a small thing to get herself worked up about, but Rikku couldn't quite understand what she was feeling.  
  
She wasn't going to lie though. Rikku knew that she had deliberately pretended that he hadn't complimented her. To be honest, she didn't even know why she was trying to avoid it. Instead of saying "thank you" she made it seem as if he was just trying to make fun of her.  
  
Rikku squeezed her eyes shut and raised a hand to her head in frustration with herself.  
  
"I'm such an dummy. Tysh...what's wrong with me?" she asked herself aloud.  
  
Trying to sort out her feelings, she tried to remember what had happened back then. Gippal had implied that she looked nice with her hair down. Rikku froze at the thought. She wasn't used to receiving compliments, so Rikku guessed the feeling was new to her. When Gippal said that to her, it made her feel...pretty—something she wasn't so used to.  
  
Coming in terms with herself, she decided to offer an apology. But not with words.  
  
Reaching back up to her hair, her fingers found the knot in the bandana. She pulled it off her head in one quick motion, feeling her long hair falling down around her again. The wind blew her strands wildly about, no longer in the familiar bandana she had grown used to.  
  
With a short nod to herself, Rikku turned back towards the lift, hoping that Gippal would understand what she was trying to do by letting her hair down for him.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Awww, over already? ;_; Don't worry, Chapter 5 coming soon. ^^ And thanks again for all the wonderful, (and I mean WONDERFUL) reviews!  
  
In case you guys don't know:  
  
TRANSLATION: "Tysh." -- "Damn."  
  
^^; 


	5. Heaven’s Reminiscence

A/N: Woo~Chapter 5. ^^ Once again, thanks everyone for your reviews and comments, and I'm glad that you're all enjoying the story so far. =) As you all know, this is obviously my first GippalxRikku fic, so I'm glad people like it so far. =p  
  
***  
  
{{ Chapter 5: Heaven's Reminiscence }}  
  
***  
  
Rikku's hands came up as she tugged at her hair. She was unused to the feeling of it down, but it was just going to be for today. Just a way for her to apologize to Gippal.  
  
Stepping out of the elevator, the firm clang of the doors shut behind her. She tucked a strand of hair behind one ear before heading towards the double doors leading out onto the bridge where Gippal was giving orders to the men.  
  
"Sir, there seems to be a barrier surrounding the Guadosalam area."  
  
"What? How...?" Gippal asked, his one hand coming up to graze his hair. The other Al Bhed didn't respond to him. Just then, the front door suddenly opened, causing Gippal to move his gaze away from the map and up to the entrance.  
  
He felt his eye widen slightly at the sight of Rikku, her hair down and trailing behind her. Marveling in the way the sunlight managed to strike down upon her just right, he fought to return his attention back to the map. But he couldn't. This was the second time that day that Gippal had felt his breath catch. He blinked, trying to recompose himself as he tried to tear his gaze away from her. It was a losing battle.  
  
Rikku darted her eyes around the other Al Bhed in the room who were staring at her with curious expressions. Gippal watched as her eyes finally landed on him, and she approached, her lips forming a weak smile.  
  
She seemed to hesitate before speaking and Gippal met her eyes.  
  
"I um, hope you don't mind that I came down here..." Rikku began slowly. She looked around the room, maps and navigation screens all around. A beep from one of the men's computer screens filled the room.  
  
Gippal blinked as if looking for his words. "It's all right."  
  
The other Al Bhed who was sitting beside Gippal looked back and forth between his boss and the girl who had just entered. He noticed how Gippal was watching the girl.  
  
"Um, sir?" he slowly asked Gippal.  
  
"What's the problem?" Gippal asked as he faced the other man, his gaze finally moving away from Rikku.  
  
"The uh, barrier?" the man repeated again, albeit nervously this time.  
  
Gippal looked to the maps again, trying to keep his attention on the situation at hand. Although he struggled to admit it to himself, the sight of Rikku standing before him had undoubtedly caused his words to falter.  
  
Rikku watched Gippal's expression carefully as he turned his back to her and stared at the map screen, the glow from the coordinates illuminating his face. She didn't know how to interpret how he had just reacted at the sight of her, but she did know one thing. Rikku had certainly noticed his shocked expression. She hoped he understood that she meant nothing more than to apologize to him by letting her hair down.  
  
"It seems to be coming from some sort of source inside the village, sir," the Al Bhed spoke up, prompting Rikku to turn her attention to them.  
  
"Damn..." Gippal replied moments later. He straightened up and paced around the computer terminal, as the eyes of the other Al Bhed in the room were locked on him. Gippal turned to one man in the corner. "Check to see if the barrier is penetrable."  
  
"Yes sir!" the other Al Bhed responded.  
  
Rikku watched as the man inputted commands into the computer, his eyes focused carefully on what he was doing. After another moment, he looked up to face Gippal.  
  
"Sir, the barrier is indeed penetrable, but how exactly do you plan to break through?"  
  
Gippal seemed to chew over the words for a moment. He didn't reply, but stood with one hand on his chin thoughtfully.  
  
The other man continued on. "If you plan to break the barrier with an explosion, the villagers in Guadosalam will undoubtedly be injured by the impact."  
  
"Look what they did to Kilika! Are you sayin' that it's ok for them to risk other people's lives by burning the damn village, and it's not ok for us to break through this...this barrier?!" Gippal replied sharply.  
  
The Al Bhed didn't say anything else. He turned his eyes towards the ground at a loss for words.  
  
Rikku looked on in confusion. "Gippal...we can't—"  
  
He cut her off. "Rikku, do you understand how many people could have died in that fire they set? You would have been trapped in there too if I hadn't asked you to come to the temple..." Gippal trailed off. He suddenly stopped and sat down in the pilot seat.  
  
Rikku watched him for another second before she slowly lowered herself in a seat next to him as well. She kept her eyes cast downward.  
  
The other man who had been explaining the plan to Gippal earlier had quietly walked away for the time being. Rikku and Gippal were now alone in the front seat. The others in the room had averted their gazes from their leader, seeing that now was not the time to ask anything more.  
  
"You know I realized that too," Rikku began after silence had passed. She saw him move his gaze to meet hers. Undaunted, she continued on. "You saved me, and you saved the villagers but..." Rikku paused before picking up again. "...You can't let your anger make you say things like that. Those are innocent Guado who probably don't know what's happened to Kilika."  
  
Gippal moved so he was fully facing her. The solemn expression seemed to clear up on his face.  
  
"Damn, I'm a mess..." he replied with his gaze to the ground. One hand ran through his hair. "Geez, I dunno what made me say that..."  
  
"Hey, cheer up!" Rikku told him suddenly, a bright smile on her face. She reached out and poked him gently on his sides, causing his eye to widen slightly. "You're the leader, so lead! ...Or should I take charge of this ship?" Rikku added jokingly. She wanted to see Gippal back to his old and cocky self again, however annoying he may have been at times.  
  
Gippal stared at her for another moment before smiling crookedly and standing up, brushing himself off.  
  
"You have a point," he replied finally. Stepping over to the center of the bridge, he cleared his throat and the men promptly gave him their attention.  
  
"Alright men. Here's the plan," Gippal began. He walked over to the map terminal and projected the image on the center screen so everyone could see the enlarged picture. "We need to find a way to get in there, or at least see if we can communicate with anyone inside" he explained with one finger tracing the entrance to Guadosalam.  
  
"But there's no way to penetrate the barrier, sir," one Al Bhed spoke up from the other side of the room.  
  
"And we can't send the Guado a signal unless the barrier is down. It would interfere with the sound waves," another Al Bhed explained from the corner of the room.  
  
Gippal paused and turned his back for a moment. "Listen, are you all sure that the Guado really are responsible for the attack on Kilika...?" he asked softly, changing the subject.  
  
Rikku barely heard him mutter under his breath. She walked over to him.  
  
"Um, Gippal?"  
  
He raised his eye to look at her.  
  
"Is...um, something the matter?" Rikku continued. She stood with her hands clasped behind her back as she looked him in the face.  
  
Gippal didn't respond to this but turned back around to face the room again. "Find me more evidence that the Guado really were responsible for the fire. Move!" he ordered suddenly. It seemed that his attitude had dropped down again.  
  
Rikku watched in disbelief as the Al Bhed hurriedly stood up from their terminals and exited the bridge in a flurry. She turned her eyes towards Gippal after the men had left, leaving the room deathly quiet.  
  
"Hey, what the heck was that all about?" Rikku asked with a wave of her arms. He was certainly confusing her a lot that day, but now she didn't have any clue what could have been bothering him.  
  
Gippal walked past her suddenly and over to the map. Her eyes followed him.  
  
"It's nothing," he replied shortly.  
  
"Nothing? What do you mean nothing?" Rikku pressed on, undaunted by his odd tone.  
  
"Rikku, I said it's nothing," Gippal answered. She watched as he walked around the bridge, his gaze sweeping by all the screens as if looking for something. The clunking sound of his heavy boots on the metal flooring filled the room.  
  
He suddenly stopped short and sat down in the chair. Rikku watched as he hung his head down, blonde strands of hair falling in front of his eye.  
  
He sighed deeply, closing his eyes. "I won't lie to you. This whole thing just doesn't feel right, Rikku," Gippal said softly.  
  
Rikku froze at his words, but she sighed in relief that he was now letting something out. She walked over to him and waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she took the opportunity to clear up questions of her own.  
  
"Gippal, what exactly is going on?" she asked hesitantly, careful about her words. He seemed deeply troubled and she didn't want to hit a bad nerve.  
  
He looked up at her. She watched as he stared hard at her face, as if this was the first time he had seen her. His gaze lingered on her for a few unnecessary moments before he sighed.  
  
"I don't know...I don't feel right just goin' out and getting revenge on people like this," Gippal finally said. He had turned his face away from her.  
  
Rikku slowly lowered herself down in the soft seatnext to him, her body falling slightly towards the direction of his weight. "I know—"  
  
He cut her off. "We really don't know if the Guado did this either."  
  
She closed her mouth, deciding to keep quiet about what she was going to say. Clearly, the whole idea of raiding the Guado was what was bothering him...wasn't it?  
  
"Is that all that's bothering you?" Rikku asked after a while, deciding to voice her thoughts.  
  
Gippal turned to look at her fully. "Well yeah, what else would be—"  
  
"Nope. I don't buy it, Gippal," she replied casually, almost in a teasing manner.  
  
He kept his gaze on her for another moment before tearing it away.  
  
"You're right," Gippal began again. He took a deep breath, one hand running through his hair. Rikku smiled in satisfaction. At least she was finally getting him to speak some more.  
  
"The reason why I can't bring myself to go into Guadosalam like that is because I uh, have some of my own memories there..."  
  
Rikku paused at his words, not expecting it at all. "Memories?"  
  
"Yeah," Gippal replied, turning to face her. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw the expression on her face. "You do have memories of your own too, right?" Gippal teased.  
  
"Well of course!" Rikku retorted, her feelings a bit hurt at what he said. "We wouldn't be human without them, y'know," she continued more quietly this time.  
  
His voice softened as well. "This whole thing. Burning things, watching innocent people get hurt—this isn't the way I wanted to see anything," Gippal said. He sighed as if he was giving up.  
  
She chose not to say anything at this time, and wondered if he would talk about these "memories" that he had mentioned earlier. After some time went by, Gippal continued.  
  
"I made a promise to myself a long time ago that I would never get involved in anything that caused others to get hurt." He paused before picking up again. "But after what happened to Kilika, I started to wonder about why Spira was like this," Gippal said with a wave of his hand. "Those people could have died the other day, Rikku. If it wasn't for us, they really would have," he said while turning to meet her gaze.  
  
Rikku listened to him, her heart hanging onto his every word. In all of her years, no one had ever spoken to her about something like this, and she really didn't know how to respond to him either. Still, she needed to help him. It was the least she could do after what they had been through together.  
  
"There are good and bad things in this world," Rikku heard herself begin softly. She looked down at her lap. "As much as we try to make everything okay here, it just doesn't always happen that way..." she trailed off, the image of their destroyed Home on Bikanel Island flashing in her mind. She shook her thoughts away, forcing herself to smile. "I um, guess what I'm trying to say is that the only thing we can do in times like these is do our best to do good, no matter what bad may come out of it..."  
  
He had his gaze fixed upon her the entire time, her words sinking in. It was strange, even to him. In the last two days, Gippal had spoken to her about his inner thoughts and doubts, aspects about himself that he never really shared with anybody. But there was something in Rikku that was true to him. Something that he could feel every time they spoke to each other—it was what he knew made her a person whom he could speak feely and openly with, knowing he could trust her.  
  
"Those memories I had in Guadosalam...I uh," Gippal began. She looked at him with questioning eyes, silently pushing for him to continue. "Ah, forget it. It's all in the past now. Nothing to get myself worked up over..." Gippal finished.  
  
Rikku shook her head at him. "Man, do you always have to be so secretive all the time? Geez..."  
  
"Hey, I've told you more about myself in these last couple of days than I ever had with Nooj or Baralai," Gippal replied with a light chuckle.  
  
His words caused her to pause. She turned to face him seriously.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Gippal stopped laughing and looked at her. "Why what?" he asked at her sudden question.  
  
"Why have you told me all this about yourself?" Rikku asked again. Her green eyes studied him curiously.  
  
He stood up from the seat and walked a few paces away from where she was. After a moment had passed between them, he turned himself around again so he was looking at her in the eye.  
  
"I...don't know..." Gippal replied solemnly, as if this was the first time he realized it. His head was down, and she could clearly sense that this whole situation was deeply troubling him. She stood up, offering a reassuring smile.  
  
"Listen, you don't have to tell me if it bothers you and—"  
  
He cut her off suddenly. "No. It's not that." He walked back to the seat where she was standing next to and sat down as well. "What would you say if I told you it's because I just did?"  
  
"Huh? What do you mean?" Rikku asked. He smiled at her sideways.  
  
"Haha. Don't think about it too much, Rikku," Gippal replied as he stood up again. He began to walk away from the bridge but paused in front of her, looking down to meet her green eyes. He fought the urge to reach up and put a hand to her hair.  
  
"Ah, so I see that you decided to take my advice," he said playfully to her before walking away again.  
  
Rikku felt her eyes move away from his. She didn't quite know how to respond to what he had just said.  
  
"We gotta find another way to do this, Rikku," he said to her.  
  
She looked up at him in confusion. "Do what?"  
  
"Guadosalam? The men are going to look for more evidence. After that, I need to decide what to do from there," Gippal explained.  
  
Rikku mentally slapped herself for being so out of it that day. "Oh, right."  
  
"Ok, so are you coming or not?" Gippal asked, stepping aside from the doorway to let her pass.  
  
She blinked and smiled. "Coming!"  
  
***  
  
"Tidus!! Isaaru!" her voice echoed through the ruins.  
  
"Yuna, it's no use. They're obviously not in the area," Paine said. She set her sword down on the ground and sat down, her legs aching from all the walking they had done.  
  
Yuna turned to look at her friend. "But Paine, they told us they were waiting here. They said they were in trouble and now I'm—"  
  
"Damn! Look over there!" Paine suddenly interrupted in alarm as she stood up. She grabbed the hilt of her sword again, squinting her eyes in the direction of the Zanarkand Dome.  
  
Yuna spun around quickly, trying to see in the darkness through the fog. There. In the distance. It was very faint, but she could see spirals of smoke rising up into the night air. The moonlight provided enough light for her to see, but Yuna could see a fire blazing near the Zanarkand Dome.  
  
Paine had already started, her legs quickly carrying her past Yuna's frozen form.  
  
"Let's go!!" Paine's voice shouted.  
  
***  
  
The men turned to face them as soon as Gippal and Rikku entered the control room.  
  
"Sir, we request to take the airship back to Kilika in order to fulfill our instructions from you," one Al Bhed spoke as he took a step forward.  
  
Gippal ran a hand through his hair, realizing that the men were right. There was no other way for them to get there, and he himself needed to stay in the Guadosalam area to study the barrier. His attention then drifted to Rikku. And what about her?  
  
"Alright. You will pilot the airship back to Kilika and gather more information. Ask the villagers what they saw while you're there," he announced to the men.  
  
They nodded to him. "Yes sir!"  
  
The same Al Bhed man spoke up again, eyeing Gippal and Rikku. "And what of you two, sir? Will she be staying here with you as well?"  
  
Rikku glanced at Gippal. He met her gaze, silently questioning her. Her green eyes held no expression of refusal.  
  
"Yeah, I guess Rikku and I will stay behind here..." he trailed off hesitantly.  
  
The Al Bhed took another step towards Gippal and Rikku, away from the others. "In that case I shall stay here as well."  
  
"What? That's not necessary, Serru, it will only be for a few days—"  
  
"No sir. I cannot allow any danger to come to the young lady and yourself..." the Al Bhed whom Rikku heard was named Serru, said.  
  
Gippal scratched the back of his head and smiled weakly. "Well all right then, if you really want to..."  
  
Serru smiled as well before beginning to walk away. "I'll get the tents and the supplies we'll need for camp."  
  
Gippal watched as Serru left the control room. The other Al Bhed still stood before him, waiting for orders.  
  
"Ok, men. You will take the airship back to Kilika. Report anything you find through the spheres, alright? I expect you all to come back in about four days," Gippal told them.  
  
With that, they were off. Rikku followed Gippal down the ramp of the airship, with Serru trailing behind them with their tents and food. Rikku stepped off the ramp carefully as Gippal offered her a hand to catch her as she jumped down near him.  
  
Behind them, Serru watched Rikku's golden hair carefully, fighting off a sly smile on his face.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Ooh, I don't like that Serru guy. . What is he planning for our beloved couple? Hehe, Chapter 6 coming soon!  
  
And thank you for your very kind reviews. ^.^ 


	6. Prelude to a Dream

A/N: I'm so glad to finally be on Chapter 6. I've been thinking of the plot for this story for a few days now, and I think I know where I want to take it from here. There were also the little moments between Gippal and Rikku that I have planned carefully, so I'm actually rather excited to write this chapter. XD  
  
***  
  
{{ Chapter 6: Prelude to a Dream }}  
  
***  
  
The sun was just barely visible in the early twilight, its golden rays fading quickly behind the first signs of night. Rikku reached up to brush away a long strand of hair that fell in front of her eyes. She quickened her pace a bit so that she was just walking next to Gippal. He turned to look at her as she approached and smiled gently.  
  
Up ahead, Rikku could see a rather large cluster of small white birds sitting quietly in their path. They moved about here and there, pecking at the ground for any traces of food that may have been lying around. All was quiet on the Moonflow path until they approached, a small twig cracking under one of Gippal's boots. As she walked next to him along the pathway, the birds suddenly flew up, white wings flapping into the air and clearing the area as they passed.  
  
"A lot of birds here, huh?" Gippal suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence that had fallen between them previously. He had his head tilted up towards the sky where the birds had flown up to. He had also stopped walking.  
  
Rikku moved her eyes to him. Orange-yellow beams of light shone down upon his face, making his one visible eye twinkle in the early sunset.  
  
"Yeah, you don't usually see this many in the Moonflow..." Rikku trailed off quietly. She stopped next to his side and looked up into the sky as well, her green eyes taking in the brilliant fiery reds and oranges of the early evening sky.  
  
Gippal felt his eyes moving down from the sky to settle on Rikku. He sighed in relief to himself that his good eye was facing her. Taking advantage of the moment, he found himself glancing at her, the sight of her new appearance still not sinking in for him. Catching himself for realizing that a small pang of something he couldn't quite place a finger on had just crossed his conscience, Gippal moved his gaze away from her.  
  
Rikku turned to face him, sensing his uneasiness.  
  
"Something wrong, Gippal?"  
  
He paused, hoping she hadn't caught him staring at her earlier. "U-uh, nothing." He cleared his throat and raised a hand to shield his eye from the bright sunset to their right, squinting to look down the pathway from where they had just come from.  
  
"Hey, where'd Serru go?" Gippal asked suddenly, realizing that their other companion was presently not with them.  
  
Rikku turned around as well. She chose not to say anything in response to what he had just said. Serru. From the moment she had first met him, Rikku noticed herself feeling strange when in his presence. Perhaps it was because of his deep green eyes and the way they always regarded her whenever he was in the same room, but Rikku just didn't feel quite right about him. There was something off about Serru...and she didn't know what it might have been.  
  
"Well finally, there he is," Gippal's voice cut through her thoughts. She looked up, the gentle breeze causing her to raise a hand to push away her hair.  
  
Serru came walking down the pathway towards them, his arms carrying the tents and bags from the airship. Rikku could see the outlines of his hair and strong jaw, the sunset illuminating his silhouette. She quickly began to feel uneasy at the sight of him and averted her gaze, moving them to look down at her boots.  
  
"My apologies, sir. I dropped some of the bags and had to pick everything up again," Serru began with an even tone as he stopped in front of them. He paused slightly at seeing Rikku standing next to Gippal. His green eyes swept over her quickly before moving his gaze away. Rikku managed to catch him smirk right when she had looked up. She frowned in confusion.  
  
"Rikku, what's the matter? You don't look too good..." Gippal said gently, not noticing what had just happened between Serru and Rikku. He reached up and turned her face towards his, and he froze, realizing what he had just done.  
  
Rikku froze at the feeling of his warm fingers on her skin. Her face now tilted towards him, she shook her head and grinned awkwardly.  
  
"Nope, nothing's wrong," she replied in hesitation.  
  
Gippal looked her over one last time before shrugging and chuckling a bit. "You're a strange one, Rikku," he laughed good-naturedly.  
  
Serru looked back and forth between them, feeling his jaw clench. He cleared his throat and the two promptly turned their attention to him.  
  
"We should set up camp, sir. It's getting dark," he told Gippal.  
  
"Oh, right. Here, let me get some of that," Gippal responded. He reached to take one of the bags and tents Serru had in one hand and started up the pathway again.  
  
Rikku watched as Gippal started moving ahead before following after him, with Serru right behind her.  
  
***  
  
Yuna felt her lungs growing heavy as she ran after Paine. Smoke encircled the entire pathway up to the Zanarkand Dome, leaving no room for light to leak through. Her eyes struggled to look down at her feet, making sure she wasn't going to trip on anything as she ran blindly through the thick and heavy smoke.  
  
"Paine!! Slow down! I can't see anything in here..." Yuna yelled desperately. She coughed.  
  
"Yuna! Over here!" Paine's voice cut through from one side.  
  
She stopped running and turned to her right where Paine's voice had just come from. Yes. It was that way.  
  
"I'm coming, Paine!"  
  
***  
  
They had chosen a clearing within the forest that separated the Moonflow and Guadosalam. It was a nice area, the tall trees up above opening up into the night sky and allowing the bright moonlight to provide enough light. Serru had started a small fire, the soft crackling of the flames being the only sounds in the woods.  
  
Gippal suddenly paused in confusion, raising a hand to run through his hair. He scanned the grounds, still not finding the item he was looking for.  
  
"Um, Serru?"  
  
"Sir?" Serru asked from his position next to the fire. His green eyes landed on Gippal.  
  
"Aren't there supposed to be three tents? Where's the third one? We only have two up right now..." Gippal trailed off, his eye still scanning the area. Rikku watched on in confusion, setting aside her weapon. She stood and lifted up one of the bags next to her, seeing if the missing tent was there. None.  
  
Serru looked around the area and smiled nervously. "I uh, I guess I forgot to get a third tent..."  
  
Gippal raised an eyebrow at Serru's carelessness and sighed. He smiled weakly, sensing the nervous tone in Serru's voice. "No use in getting worked up over it now, huh? The airship's long gone."  
  
"My deepest apologies, sir," Serru spoke quietly, not looking up.  
  
Rikku walked over to where Gippal was sitting. "But wait, there's three of us. How're we all goin' to sleep tonight?" she asked and immediately wished she hadn't opened her mouth, already knowing what the answer would be.  
  
Gippal looked up at Rikku who was standing above him. He saw the look of hesitation on her face as he chewed over what she had just said.  
  
Serru stood up. "The lady must have one tent, of course," he spoke up, motioning to the tent nearest him.  
  
Rikku looked over at Gippal who returned her gaze.  
  
"And you may take the other one, sir. After all, it was my fault that we don't have enough tents..." Serru continued rather slowly, as if regretting his words.  
  
"Nah, you take it, Serru. I'll stay out here and keep watch. I used to do this kind of stuff all the time back in the Crimson Squad days..." Gippal said as he stood up, moving the bags out and away from the fire. He walked by Rikku and she locked eyes with his for a brief moment before looking away.  
  
"But Gippal, it'll get cold out here and—"  
  
"S'ok, Rikku. Don't worry 'bout me," he responded quickly with a wave of one hand. Gippal smiled at her. "It's getting late. You sure you're not tired?" he asked coolly with a crooked smile.  
  
"Nope!" Rikku retorted sharply, his smart-ass attitude returning from earlier that day. She knew he was teasing her, but it was still annoying nonetheless.  
  
"I thank you, sir. Tomorrow I'll be on watch so you can sleep inside the tent," Serru spoke up from the other side of the fire. Rikku watched as he stood up. "I'm sorry to retire so early, but I really am exhausted."  
  
Gippal turned around to face him. "Oh, yeah. No problem."  
  
"Goodnight then, sir..." Serru began. He turned to Rikku. "Goodnight, my lady," he finished, his voice a little lower than before.  
  
Rikku met his gaze with hesitation but forced herself to respond nonetheless. "Oh, g-goodnight," she stuttered.  
  
With that, Serru stood and opened the flap of the large tent before stepping inside, zipping the entrance securely.  
  
"You're not tired?" Gippal suddenly asked when Serru had left. He was sitting next to the fire with his arms around his knees.  
  
Walking over to center of the clearing, Rikku sat herself down next to him, still a good distance across from where he was. She stared ahead at the fire, the soft crackling sounds providing a soothing effect on her.  
  
"Gippal, I um..." Rikku began slowly.  
  
He looked up from the fire to meet her expression. It seemed as if something was troubling her, but she was unwilling to talk about it.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
Rikku shifted uncomfortably and leaned to the opposite side she was facing, legs folded to the side of herself. Gippal saw her green eyes dart quickly up towards the direction of Serru's tent before responding to his question. He frowned at this.  
  
"It's um, about Serru..." she began again, regretting this whole thing. He seemed to lean towards her as if caught off guard from what she had said.  
  
"Serru?"  
  
She looked up at his tent again, hoping that they were speaking soft enough so that Serru wouldn't hear.  
  
"I dunno. I guess I just feel...weird when he's around..." Rikku said quietly as she raised her eyes to meet Gippal's. She hoped he wouldn't think she was odd for bringing a topic like this up, but Rikku felt comfortable when she had her conversations with Gippal, so there was no need to fear what he would say and—  
  
"Oh, I get it," he interrupted suddenly. Rikku looked up in time to see a sly smile on his face. "You like him or somethin' Rikku?" Gippal asked.  
  
She felt her mouth drop open in shock and she stood up, fuming. "WHAT?!"  
  
He met her gaze, not a smile evident on his face. She decided to sit back down again, trying to compose herself.  
  
"Gippal, I didn't say that. I said that he...gives me the creeps," Rikku explained, her voice lowering to almost a whisper at her last sentence. She looked at his face through the fire and sighed. "Nevermind."  
  
Gippal paused, his mouth set into a firm line. He looked down at his fist in surprise, not noticing that it had been clenched the entire time. Turning his face away from her eyes, he sighed softly. He couldn't lie to himself. When Rikku had mentioned Serru, he automatically assumed that she was interested in the younger Al Bhed. Serru was seventeen years old, the same age Rikku was. Even if Gippal was only less than a year older than Rikku, he couldn't help but realize that he felt—  
  
He froze at the thought. Right when Rikku had spoken about Serru, Gippal felt something race through him, making his blood boil at the sound of Rikku speaking about Serru. He was jealous.  
  
Jealous?  
  
Gippal looked up at her. She was looking down at her boots, a serious expression on her face. He knew he had teased her earlier, but that was only to cover up his own jealously. He almost laughed at the thought of getting jealous so easily.  
  
"It's late, Rikku. We should go to sleep now," Gippal said suddenly, keeping his voice low.  
  
She looked at him. "Oh, right. We should."  
  
He stood up and offered her a smile, carrying a hint of apology. "Forget about what I said earlier. Don't worry about Serru...he can be a bit strange but—"  
  
"It's okay, Gippal. Just forget what I said too," Rikku said.  
  
He nodded once and looked at the tent on the other side of the clearing. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then. 'Night."  
  
Rikku smiled gently and began to walk in the direction of her tent. She tossed a glance back at where Gippal began to lay down and mentally cursed Serru for forgetting the third tent. Because of his carelessness, Gippal had to sleep outside that night.  
  
A wild thought suddenly came to her, and it made her frown in disapproval with herself for even thinking it. Never. There was no way she could even dream of letting Gippal share a tent with her. He would probably think she was being too forward. She shook her head. 'You're such a dummy, Rikku,' she told herself.  
Stepping into the rather spacious confines of her tent, Rikku took one more look at the outside. Gippal was sleeping just a few feet outside her tent, his blonde hair visible under the moonlight. He had put the fire out and the campsite was now dim and quiet.  
  
She zipped up her tent, leaving a small opening in the flap so she could still see outside to where Gippal was, in case something were to happen. Rikku groaned at her pessimistic side. She was always thinking negatively. Snapping off her belt and kicking off her boots, Rikku let herself burrow down within the blankets and closed her eyes in the darkness, forcing herself to sleep. Her body was comfortable all around, soft and snug blankets cradling her. But she found herself worrying about Gippal. While she was in here, enjoying the warmth, he was out there battling the cold.  
  
She suddenly stood up and threw her blankets off, unable to shake off that feeling tugging at the edge of her consciousness. Unzipping the flap of the tent, she tiptoed to where Gippal was sleeping and bent down next to him. Raising a hesitant hand to rest on his shoulder, she gently shook him.  
  
He slowly cracked his good eye open and suddenly stood up in alarm. "What's wrong? Something happen?" Gippal promptly asked, searching her face for any sign of trouble.  
  
She raised a finger to her lips and shook her head. "Sshh. Nothing's wrong."  
  
He stared back at her with confusion evident in his eye, the moonlight from up above casting a glow over his black eye patch. Sitting up on one elbow, Gippal sent her a soft grin, raising one eyebrow as he did so.  
  
"Well if nothing's wrong, then why are you here?" he asked in a whisper, a light smile on his face.  
  
Rikku paused, realizing that even she didn't know why she was out there in the middle of night shaking Gippal awake. She suddenly realized that her hand was still on his shoulder from when she first shook him awake. Her green eyes trailed up to his face. His gaze was on her hand as well.  
  
She fought off a blush from her embarrassment and pulled her hand away. He raised his eye to her.  
  
"I um...well, aren't you cold out here?" Rikku managed to ask hesitantly.  
  
Gippal met her gaze seriously, his one good eye clear and sparkling under the moonlight. He seemed to collect his thoughts before replying.  
  
"So you came back out here 'cause you were worried about me?" he finally asked, bringing himself up in a sitting position so they were both facing each other on the ground.  
  
Rikku froze, realizing the answer he was now expecting her to say. She kept her green eyes on her hands, avoiding his gaze.  
  
"Well it's cold out here, and I was worried and there's a lot of room in my tent and I..." Rikku began quickly, her words jamming together as she spoke. She moved her eyes back to Gippal. He was staring back at her seriously. "You know what, I um...nevermind," she said again, already standing up.  
  
Gippal's eyes followed her form as she stood up. The cool breeze began to blow, reminding him that this was indeed not the type of weather he could handle. Trying to make sense of the whole situation, he stood as well, running a hand through his hair quickly.  
  
"Wait."  
  
Rikku stopped in her steps. 'Oh great, I just made a complete dummy out of myself and now he's gonna make fun of me,' she thought to herself. Turning around to face Gippal, she could barely see the expression on his face through the darkness.  
  
"You're right...I uh, really can't stand this type of weather," he began in embarrassment, scratching the back of his head with one hand.  
  
"Oh..." Rikku replied, realizing what he was trying to say.  
  
"It uh, might not be right for us to sleep in the same tent but, uh...I grew up in the desert so this type of weather ain't really what I'm used to and uh..." Gippal continued to explain. He met her gaze with an expression of embarrassment.  
  
"You might get sick...?" Rikku offered.  
  
He laughed quietly. "Yeah..."  
  
Rikku found herself smiling at that, but suddenly stopped as a fierce gust of cold wind suddenly picked up, causing her long hair to ruffle about wildly. She looked back at him. He had his arms crossed across his chest, trying to keep warm. This wasn't something Rikku could stand seeing others experience. She needed to help him.  
  
"Alright then. Let's get some sleep," she suddenly said brightly, her voice just barely above a whisper. He seemed to look very grateful at her words.  
  
Leading them back to the tent, she found him holding the flap open for her as she stepped in first. Gippal entered shortly behind her, his one eye sweeping over the floor quickly. There really was enough space in there for two people.  
  
He watched as Rikku bent down and began moving blankets about, setting aside a heavy blanket for him.  
  
"Listen Rikku, this really means a lot to me, but I can't help but feel as if—"  
  
"I know what you're gonna say Gippal, but do you really wanna get sick out there? You're our leader y'know," she cut him off, her back still to him as she found one pillow for him and threw it at his face, catching him off guard.  
  
Gippal gaped at her. "Hey, what was that for?" he asked with a light chuckle. He suddenly felt himself loosening up and lowered his tired body down on the blankets next to her. She was smiling at him.  
  
"Goodnight then, Gippal," Rikku simply said to him as she moved over to her side of the tent and pulled the blanket up and over herself, her back facing him.  
  
He couldn't help but smile at the way she deliberately ignored his question. Nevertheless, he felt his body telling his mind that it was time to get some rest. It was nearly midnight.  
  
Carefully moving himself under the blanket Rikku had given him, he scooted as far as he could to his side. Glancing at the space between him and Rikku, Gippal saw that there was only a good five or so inches between his body and hers. He shifted his leg underneath the blankets in an attempt to get more comfortable and felt it graze something hard under the blankets. Realizing that it was Rikku's leg, he fought off the warmth growing in his cheeks and moved away, hoping she wasn't awake to notice it. Feeling his eyelid beginning to grow heavy, he made a mental note to himself to try and keep that distance between the two of them.  
  
He began to feel the warmth all around him, and was grateful that Rikku had offered him a place to sleep. He had to admit that he was taken aback by her offer at first, but was glad nonetheless. He cracked an eye open and looked at her again, her body just inches in front of him. Her blonde hair was cascading down next to her pillow, the long strands just barely grazing his cheek.  
  
Gippal let his eye close once again, the warmth of the blanket and the sound of the still night lulling him to sleep.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Fun, fun, FUN. I had the time of my life writing this chapter, and I know I'm going to make it better than this in future chapters. ^^;;  
  
It gets more interesting after this chapter, so I'll see you all in Chapter 7! =) 


	7. And Serru Makes Three

A/N: Don't you all just love anticipation? Heh, I certainly do, and I know you have been waiting for this chapter; some more patiently than others. ^.~ I'm glad everyone has reacted the way you have towards Serru. It's exactly how I wanted you all to feel about him, and it really does help for later on in the story. You'll all know it when it happens. ^^;  
  
Anyway, I hope you all haven't been dying TOO much while waiting for this chapter, so here it is...finally. =)  
  
***  
  
{{ Chapter 7: And Serru Makes Three  
  
***  
  
An unexpected cold draft caused Rikku to shift slightly from her position underneath the blankets, shaking her out of her sleep. There must have been a slight chill in the tent. Her eyes opened slowly in the darkness, one hand instinctively going up to her hair to brush away the long bangs that had fallen in front of her eyes. A yawn escaped her mouth as she adjusted her pillow, preparing to fall asleep again.  
  
As she moved her body to face the opposite way, her mouth opened slightly in alarm from a weight that she felt was presently around her abdomen. She tensed up in her surprise, but then remembered who it was.  
  
Rikku turned around slowly, quietly, so that she was resting on her other side. Lifting up the blankets to look underneath, her eyes made out the characteristic form of one of Gippal's hands resting loosely around her waist, her body drawn dangerously close to his. Her mind raced as the she could feel his lower arm around her, warmth from his body radiating out toward her at the same time. Ready to move away from his grasp, her eyes suddenly moved up to look into his face that was mere centimeters away from her own.  
  
His one eye was closed in deep slumber, hiding the bright orbs within. A few strands of spiky blonde hair fell over his forehead, giving his face a soft boyish look despite being asleep. Even in the dim light of the tent, Rikku could see his black eye patch and she wondered what had really happened to him. Shrugging off her curiosity, she remembered the warm weight that was wrapped around her, realizing that Gippal had reached out for her sometime in the night and this was where they were now.  
  
She guessed that he wasn't very used to being in cold weather and had instinctively latched onto the nearest warm object. That warm object happened to be her. A blush crept over her cheeks again as she suddenly felt Gippal's hand move slightly around her waist, pulling her gently toward himself. Her green eyes flickered up to his face. He was still asleep.  
  
Deciding that there was nothing she could do to get out of his warm grip, Rikku felt her eyelids growing heavy, a reminder that there were about three more hours left before morning. Letting her mind sink back into the soft comfort of sleep, the weight of Gippal's arm around her slowly became a fleeting memory as her mind entered a calming dream.  
  
***  
  
Serru awoke with a start, realizing that it was already dawn. He was always a light-sleeper, never really being affected by not getting enough sleep at nights. Pulling the blankets away from himself, he stood and unzipped his tent, squinting his green eyes in the early morning sunlight.  
  
He frowned when he didn't spot Gippal's body in the campsite. The other Al Bhed was supposed to be keeping watch last night, right? Frowning again, his eyes moved over to the other tent across from his own. Unable to contain his curiosity at wondering where Gippal was, he made his way quietly to Rikku's tent. There was a tug at the edge of curiosity at wondering where Gippal was, but there was no way he could be in there...right?  
  
The flaps were tightly sealed as Serru approached, yet he couldn't help making sure anyway. One hand quietly unzipping the front, his green eyes peaked into the tent and he felt his mouth drop open in shock.  
  
His wide green eyes took in the form of Gippal and Rikku, their bodies questionably close together. Rikku slept with her back to Gippal, and Serru could see that Gippal had one arm around the girl's waist. They were sound asleep, one blanket around the both of them.  
Serru felt his right fist clenching at the sight that lay before him. Suddenly, Rikku stirred, making a soft sound as she turned around and faced Gippal, her eyes still closed. Then, all was quiet again.  
  
His eyes blazing, he left the tent in disgust.  
  
***  
  
A shadow began to take form as Yuna approached the entrance to the dome. Two more shaky steps and she could now see the form of Paine, bent down on the ground over...over two bodies?!  
  
"Paine!!"  
  
The warrior looked up, soot on her face. A tired expression was evident on her eyes as Yuna came running up to her.  
  
"Tidus! Isaaru!" Yuna sobbed as she collapsed next to the two.  
  
"They're still breathing, but..." Paine interrupted gently, watching Yuna's eyes fill with horror at her words.  
  
"But what?!" Yuna friend demanded, tears threatening to fall as she stroked Tidus' hair. Paine's ruby eyes looked down as she fought to remain strong.  
  
"Look around us, Yuna. How are we going to get out of here with them?" Paine whispered shakily. A clang shook Yuna out of her reverie as she realized the warrior had dropped her sword in defeat.  
  
"U-Ugh...Yuna...?" a voice spoke from below them. Yuna and Paine's eyes flew down to Tidus' body, realizing that he had regained his consciousness.  
  
"Tidus!!!" Yuna exclaimed as she lifted his head up with one hand, supporting him as he struggled to speak. His normally clear blue eyes were misted and half-shut as he struggled to speak.  
  
"We...I-Isaruu and me...tried to get out...get out before the fire...came—but..." Tidus continued in short gasps. His eyes shut for a moment as he tried to catch his breath.  
  
"Don't try to talk now, Tidus. Please..." Yuna said with a sob. Her hands tried to stroke the soot from his face as the flames continued to burn behind them.  
  
Paine studied Tidus quickly, looking over for any wounds. He didn't seem like he had any physical injuries, but it seemed as if he had inhaled too much of the smoke. Her eyes drifted over to Isaruu's body. She saw a movement and immediately dashed to his side.  
  
"Are you awake, Isaruu?" Paine asked quickly as she bent down next to him. Yuna turned to them with tears threatening to fall.  
  
"Is he all right, Paine?" Yuna asked in a pained voice. She was about to open her mouth to speak again when she saw Isaruu's face suddenly twitch, one of his eyes opening before coughing loudly. Paine's flew down to him.  
  
"Damn, we've gotta find a way to get of here..." Yuna heard Paine whisper, a hint of defeat evident in her friend's normally stoic voice.  
  
"B-But how...?" Tidus spoke up from his position on Yuna's lap. He was struggling to keep his eyes open and was obviously having trouble breathing.  
  
"I don't know..." Paine spoke. She looked around them, the soot smeared across her face. The fire continued to blaze all around them, but seemed to remain steady without nearing the entrance where they were.  
  
"Don't give...up too easily, Paine..." Isaruu's voice spoke up. Paine and Yuna turned their attention to him as he reached into his robes. After some struggling, they saw his hand pull out a blue sphere.  
  
"A CommSphere?!" Yuna exclaimed as soon as she saw the object.  
  
Isaruu tried to sit up, brushing away some soot from his face. He tried to offer a smile despite their current situation. "Yes, and it will reach my brothers. We'll be out of here soon..."  
  
***  
  
He could feel something warm that he was touching with his hand. Warm and smooth...warm and...it was moving? Gippal's eye flew open.  
  
The first thing he saw was a pool of blonde hair spread out directly in front of him. From the blanket that was rumpled from where he lay, Gippal could make out the blonde head poking halfway from the top of the blankets, body completely covered by the warm covers. He tried to suppress his laughter when he remembered that it was Rikku. Presently, her entire form was bundled in the blanket they now shared.  
  
Gippal's amusement faded quickly away as the warm feeling in his right hand drew back his attention. As he moved his lower arm, he realized that he had one hand around Rikku, his fingers touching the bare skin of her stomach. He froze at his position and carefully pulled his arm back to himself, feeling very embarrassed that he had cuddled up to her the night before. Did she know about what he had done? Damn.  
  
Rikku suddenly stirred, causing his gaze to move back to her. Feeling like a small child who had just been caught being naughty, Gippal's instantly shut his eye and laid completely still, making it seem as if he was still sound asleep.  
  
"Gippal...? Are you...awake?" he heard her whisper quietly. He could feel her eyes on him as he remained still. The blankets next to him moved as he heard Rikku shift her position.  
  
A moment of silence passed and he no longer heard anything coming from her. Yet he could sense that her eyes were still on him. Trying to keep his lips from curving upward, Gippal took the moment to really think about why the hell he was doing this. Clearly, it seemed foolish. Why even pretend to be asleep? But he knew the answer. Because he was too embarrassed to face her, knowing that he had an arm around her the whole night.  
  
So much for that mental note he made to keep their distance. Heh.  
  
Lost in thought, his inner voices soon stopped immediately after he felt something graze his lips quickly, seeming to last for just a split second. He fought off the urge to snap his eye open to see what it was, but his heart was racing from what had just happened. The blankets around him began to move and he heard Rikku stand up, her limbs popping softly as she stretched.  
  
"Ow..." Gippal heard her mumble quietly. A zip from the front of the tent, and all was quiet again. He opened his eye cautiously and saw that Rikku had indeed left the tent.  
  
He sat up, running a hand through his hair. What the hell was that? One hand came up to touch his lips instinctively, and then he felt immediately silly for doing so.  
  
"It was probably nothing..." he trailed off before realizing that there was no way to ignore that nagging voice in the back of his mind. Yes, there was no mistaking it.  
  
It had felt like a kiss.  
  
***  
  
Rikku sat on the edge of the Moonflow banks, gazing out into the bright lake. Pyreflies danced between the flowers, illuminating the clear waters. It reminded her of an aurora, the colors fading and glowing softly on the water's reflection.  
  
As much as she tried to pretend it didn't happen, it really did.  
  
"But it didn't really...right?" Rikku asked herself aloud. Her arms wrapped around her knees as she drew them up against her chest.  
  
Trying to trace back exactly what happened, Rikku realized that remembering the events made her feel extremely awful and guilty. She didn't know what had compelled her to even dream of it.  
  
Rikku had been watching him curiously after she had the feeling that he was awake and was just pretending to be asleep. As she leaned in to study his face closer, she suddenly felt very mischievous as her green eyes landed on Gippal's lips.  
  
She began to feel herself leaning closer. She could feel Gippal's warm breathing on her face and her eyes darted up to his eye to make sure he was still asleep. Her lips were mere millimeters from his when her mind snapped back into reality. Realizing what position she was in, Rikku began to pull away—but not carefully enough.  
  
As she moved away, she had made the fatal error of leaning slightly back down, just enough that her lips had brushed Gippal's. It had only lasted a second, but as soon as she realized what had happened, Rikku had stood and left the tent.  
  
She shut her eyes from the memory, her guilt and frustration eating away at her consciousness.  
  
"I really am a dummy..." Rikku spoke to herself again. She groaned at her antics. "Why'd I do that? Argh."  
  
"Something the matter, Rikku?" a voice called from behind her. She turned around in the direction of the person. Deep green eyes met her own.  
  
Serru.  
  
"It's early for you to be awake, isn't it?" he asked again, a small smile on his face. She saw him look at her for an extra moment before sitting down beside her.  
  
"U-um, yeah. But I couldn't sleep anyway," Rikku responded, trying to sound as if his presence didn't bother her. She offered a weak smile, her thoughts still on what had happened in the tent earlier.  
  
"Ah, so there is something wrong," Serru replied, the morning sunrise making his sandy hair glow. He turned to face her, his eyes darkening as if he knew something had happened.  
  
"No, nothing's wrong," she said again, hoping that he would accept her response. When he didn't seem to believe her, she decided to change the subject. "So um, how about you? It's early for you to be up too, isn't it?"  
  
He smiled. "No, not me. I never could sleep well," Serru said simply. His finger traced outlines on the sand next to him.  
  
Rikku frowned. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Ever since I was a child. When my father..." he paused and looked up at her before shaking his head slightly, smiling as he did so. "Nevermind. It's not important."  
  
She studied his expression some more before deciding that it was time to change the subject again. This topic was clearly a bad memory for Serru.  
  
As she was about to speak, he interrupted her suddenly. "I didn't seem to find Gippal this morning. Perhaps you may know where he went?"  
  
Rikku froze, realizing that there was no way to lie to him. Raising a hand to brush the hair that had fallen in front of her eyes, she decided that the truth was the only way out.  
  
"Hehe, well you see...um—"  
  
"So here you are," a voice cut her off. Rikku turned and saw Gippal walking up the path towards them, his eye clear and bright. She watched his face as he approached. He seemed to watch the two of them with suspicious eyes. Or maybe that was just Rikku's imagination...  
  
"Good morning, sir," Serru greeted as Gippal came to stop near them.  
  
"Morning, Serru," he responded hesitantly, his gaze moving from Serru to Rikku and stopping on her for a moment. She could see him looking at her from the corner of her eye but chose not to meet his gaze.  
  
"I didn't seem to find you this morning, sir," Serru continued on. His green eyes glanced at the girl. He managed to catch her gaze on him for a second before she averted her eyes away from his. Trying to suppress a smile, he tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible. "So where did you go? I was getting a bit worried about you, sir," Serru asked casually.  
  
Rikku froze at the other Al Bhed's words. She could feel her cheeks beginning to warm from what she was waiting for Gippal to say, but there was no way he would ever think of saying it and—  
  
"Well it's funny how it turned out last night, but uh..." Gippal began slowly. He looked at Rikku. She was staring back at him, hesitation evident in her eyes.  
  
Serru looked back and forth between them. "Oh? What about last night?" he asked, already knowing what his boss was going to say.  
  
"Rikku offered me a place to sleep in her tent, so uh, that's where I was and—"  
  
"I see," Serru suddenly cut off. Gippal raised an eyebrow at his sudden rudeness.  
  
A moment of uneasy silence passed between all three of them. Rikku hadn't noticed that her eyes had been down the whole time, and that she had been staring at her boots. She realized that they hadn't been cleaned in a while. Dirt stains and black soot coated the soles of the rubber, causing Rikku to frown in distaste.  
  
"I have actually planned to travel closer to Guadosalam this morning," Serru began again. His mood seemed to lift considerably, his green eyes bright.  
  
"What for?" Gippal asked, crossing his arms.  
  
"According to what one of the young rookies told me about the barrier, it can somehow be destroyed from outside."  
  
"But how's that possible?" Gippal asked incredulously.  
  
"That is why I'm interested in learning why, sir," Serru explained. He had already started walking back to the clearing, the sand crunching underneath his boots. "I'll head back now. See you there."  
  
Rikku watched Serru's back as he left the area. As she saw his disappearing form turn into the clearing, a flash of dark red caught her eye, reminding her that Gippal was indeed still in the area. She felt her face begin to warm again from the memory of the previous night.  
  
"Hey."  
  
She looked up at the sound of his voice. Turning herself around to face him fully, she saw that his eye looked clearer somehow, the light from the Moonflow waters reflecting on his face.  
  
"Hm?" she asked simply. He stared back at her for a few seconds and the sensation of his warm arm around her from last night suddenly came rushing back. She turned her eyes away suddenly.  
  
Gippal paused upon seeing her avert her gaze from his. It seemed as if something was troubling her. And then it hit him. 'Damn, what if she was awake when I—'  
  
Rikku studied his face again. He seemed to be in deep thought with something, and she immediately began to feel nervous. 'Oh no. What if he felt what I did...'  
  
He was about to open his mouth to speak when Serru suddenly came running towards them, one hand clutching his chest as he struggled to catch his breath.  
  
"Sir!! I have received word from the Celsius!! It concerns friends of yours...and—"  
  
Gippal's expression turned serious. "What happened?"  
  
Serru looked up before dropping his gaze in defeat. "They're in trouble."  
  
Rikku felt her heart stop.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Yay. Chapter 8 coming soon. =)  
  
Thanks once again for the wonderful reviews. ^^ 


	8. Hidden

A/N: Whew, finally getting around to starting this one! ^^; My apologies for being slower than usual on these chapters. I've been busy with a lot of things recently, and now I have a little more time to actually sit down and write the chapter. There are so many ideas I've had over the past few weeks, and now I get the chance to write them out this time. =)  
  
Ok, enough chatting. Let's start. =p  
  
****  
  
{{ Chapter 8: Hidden }}  
  
****  
  
Rikku found her legs carrying her back to the clearing. She barely heard the muffled voices calling out to her from behind. Was it Gippal's voice? Serru's? It didn't matter. All she could hear was the echo of Serru's voice as he delivered the awful news.  
  
As her feet pounded against the dirt pathway leading into the clearing where their camp was, she paused to catch herself, realizing that she was acting foolish. She wasn't thinking rationally at all.  
  
"Rikku! Stop!" someone called.  
  
She turned around to look at the entrance to the clearing as Serru stepped out, followed by Gippal. He stared at her with a concerned expression, stepping past Serru to approach her.  
  
"Listen, Rikku...they're probably okay and—" Gippal began hesitantly. He stopped in front of her and paused as she interrupted him.  
  
"How? How do you know...?" Rikku replied slowly. Her voice was beginning to crack as one of her hands hastily brushed away a tear.  
  
Serru watched on in silence, hating himself for giving the news in the way he did so. He didn't expect the girl to react the way she had done. Turning away, he frowned to himself. At first glance, Rikku was not at all the way he had expected. He had thought she was always full of energy, ready to chase the clouds away with that bright smile of hers. But then he realized she was human too. Everyone felt pain, and Rikku's pain right now was hurting him.  
  
He paused. What was that he just now felt? In the back of his mind, Serru could not deny that he had felt something—an emotion that he had not felt in so long. But...why? He shook his head in disbelief. The girl was not involved in his plan. It was only Gippal that he had originally intended to—  
  
He quickly spun around to face them again.  
  
"Do not worry."  
  
Gippal looked up at the sound of Serru's voice. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Serru made his way to the tent and quickly retrieved the blue sphere. He approached the other two and watched as Rikku's green eyes widened at the sight of the sphere. The Al Bhed stopped in front of the girl, deliberately ignoring Gippal's questioning gaze.  
  
"The message was received from the Celsius," Serru began slowly, turning the sphere in one hand. Rikku looked up at him, her eyes still damp. "I met Buddy some time ago when he first showed me the Celsius. That's how I know him," Serru continued. He paused. "I was informed that they were on their way to Zanarkand to rescue your friends, Rikku."  
  
"Will they be all right?!" Rikku suddenly exclaimed, standing up as she realized that her friends were still alive and that there was hope.  
  
Gippal's gaze flicked to Serru.  
  
"Yes, but..."  
  
Rikku froze again. Her expression dropped. "But...what, Serru? What are you saying?"  
  
Serru looked down, refusing to meet the girl's pain-filled eyes. 'It was supposed to be so easy...why did she have to make me feel so...' he cut his thoughts off.  
  
"What I'm trying to say, Rikku, is that the Celsius cannot so easily land within the fire in Zanarkand and—"  
  
"Fire?!" Rikku and Gippal exclaimed at once. They looked at Serru in shock, awaiting his response.  
  
Serru turned his eyes away from them. "Yes. There was a fire in the Zanarkand Ruins. That is the primary reason as to why your friends probably went there, Rikku," he spoke towards the girl. She stared back at him in disbelief.  
  
"Are you saying that they're all trapped in a fire at the Ruins?" Rikku whispered. She felt herself sink down to sit on the warm dirt beneath them.  
  
Gippal watched her collapse on the ground. He stood by helplessly, unable to do anything for the moment.  
  
Serru stopped as he tried to collect his thoughts. He couldn't believe he was going to do this. It was the complete opposite of what he had wanted to do in the first place but—his eyes moved to Rikku. She had her head buried in her knees with Gippal bending down as he tried to comfort her.  
  
He saw the pain it was causing the girl. Her. Rikku.  
  
Serru blinked again, realizing that he wanted to help her now.  
  
"I am going to the Zanarkand Ruins today. I'll be traveling at full speed," Serru began as he bent down to retrieve his bags. "I anticipate that I'll arrive there within one hour."  
  
Gippal and Rikku looked up as they watched the other Al Bhed head toward the front of the forest. Gippal stood up.  
  
"Hey, hey! What do you think you can do? Play hero or somethin?" he demanded, cutting off Serru's path. Serru looked down at the Gippal's hand on his shoulder, holding him back.  
  
Two green eyes met one. Gippal stared hard at Serru, his expression unwavering.  
  
Serru bit back an amused chuckle, brushing past Gippal. "It's more than you can do for her right now."  
  
Gippal's eye widened at the younger Al Bhed's words. He spun around, quickly flicking back a few strands of his hair as he stared daggers at Serru. "What did you say?"  
  
The other man paused in his step, dropping one bag to the ground. He turned around again to face Gippal. Serru felt his mouth curve up as he smirked in amusement. He crossed his arms.  
  
"I don't like seeing the ones I care about in pain."  
  
Rikku froze at Serru's words. She stood up from her position on the ground and watched the two men in front of her, Serru's voice still ringing in her ears.  
  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Gippal asked firmly, his voice almost menacing. He took a step towards him. Rikku looked from Gippal to Serru.  
  
The younger Al Bhed shook his head lightly, barely chuckling. He stopped and looked up at Gippal. "You've wasted enough of my time. I'm going to save them," Serru added as he bent down to grab his bag again. He looked over at Gippal once more. "Unlike you, I'm not afraid of risking my life to save another." Serru studied the expression on Gippal's face. "I don't want to see another person die in a fire."  
  
Gippal felt the blood drain from his face at those words. He watched the other man's disappearing form as he rounded the corner before being out of sight completely. Gippal looked down. 'No, there's no way Serru could possibly be—"  
  
"Gippal? Are you...alright?" Rikku's voice interrupted softly. She had one hand on his shoulder.  
  
He slowly turned around to face her, his gaze cast downward. She stared up at him, her green eyes full with worry. Finally looking up, he tried to offer a weak smile.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry 'bout it," Gippal responded as he walked past her and sat down next to the small fire Serru had lit earlier that morning.  
  
Rikku frowned as she watched him.  
  
"Oh no. You can't fool me, Gippal," she suddenly announced, making her way over to him.  
  
Gippal looked up at her from his position on the ground. "Oh..." he spoke quietly with no emotion in his voice. He kept his gaze away from hers. She frowned at him but moved closer nonetheless. He didn't seem to look up at her as she stopped before him.  
  
She finally brought herself to sit down on the ground after some time had passed between them. They were across from each other, Gippal with one arm hanging over his leg.  
  
"I really hate the fact that there's nothing I can do to help, Rikku," he began to speak.  
  
"It's not your fault, Gippal. There's no way we can contact the Celsius or help Yunie or anything..." she trailed off, finally realizing the magnitude that their current situation placed them in. Gippal turned his head to look over at her. She sighed in defeat. "What I don't get is why Serru wants to do this for them."  
  
Gippal could hear the sense of hope her voice was now starting to show. He felt something stirring in his blood at the mention of the other Al Bhed's name.  
  
"I'm just glad that Serru is really serious about helping Yunie and everyone. I...just hope he'll be on time...and I'm really thankful that he's—" she continued on.  
  
"He can't be trusted, Rikku," Gippal interrupted suddenly. She stopped talking and he could see her turn to look at him. He met her gaze fully.  
  
Rikku gasped at his words and felt her blood boiling at what he had just said. "What? How can you say that, Gippal? You heard what he was willing to do for them, right?"  
  
His gaze flew to her's. "Rikku, don't you understand?! He's only doing this because he wants to get back at me, and because he wants you!" Gippal exclaimed. He froze at his last words. Too late. He had already said it.  
  
She stared at him, caught off guard by his words. She saw him look away from her at that moment. "Wh-What did you say?" Rikku whispered.  
  
He hesitantly raised his eye to meet her's, knowing that there was no way to evade this conversation. "I...said he's only trying to get revenge on me," Gippal answered, hoping she didn't hear the second thing he had said.  
  
Rikku shook her head. Apparently, she wasn't going to fooled. "No, I meant...after that," she began. He sat directly in front of her with his head down. She couldn't see his face, but knew that she probably wouldn't get the answer she wanted from him about what he had said. "Gippal, what exactly do you mean by everything you said?" she demanded, frustration building.  
  
He said nothing at first, but suddenly stood up. She heard him curse under his breath. Rikku's head darted up as her eyes followed his form.  
  
"Hey, wait! Where do you think you're going? I asked you a question, Gippal!" she exclaimed in frustration.  
  
She paused as he looked at her. His face held no emotion. The same expression she remembered from his confessions back on the airship.  
  
"I-I'm sorry if I said something wrong, Gippal, I—"  
  
"You didn't do anything wrong, Rikku," he cut her off, his back turned to her. His voice was surprisingly even, despite their circumstances. She looked down at the sand beneath her. "I need some time alone for a while. Sorry," Gippal finished as he walked away.  
  
Rikku could only watch his disappearing form, the sound of his boots on the ground being the last reminder that he had left—and that she was now left alone.  
  
***  
  
It was a little past sunset since Rikku had crawled into the tent. She felt like hell, and she knew her face showed it.  
  
There was no word from Serru or Gippal. She had spent the whole day waiting for both of them. Didn't Serru say it would only take him an hour to reach Zanarkand and save them? Rikku turned on her side at the dread building within her. No word from Serru. That meant that there was no hope for Yunie or Paine and—  
  
"Stop it! Don't think like that!" Rikku said aloud to herself. Kicking off her boots in her anger and loneliness, she closed her eyes for the moment, silence enveloping her.  
  
Gippal had not returned either since their conversation earlier that day. The way he suddenly left that morning after she questioned him on what he had said. It just didn't seem like him. She groaned at herself. It was all her fault. If she hadn't opened her big mouth, he wouldn't have left, and she wouldn't have had to be there all alone right now and—  
  
"Are you awake?"  
  
Her eyes flew open.  
  
Gippal stood before her, his hair slightly limp, the orange sunset leaking in from the crack in the tent. He seemed to regard her with concern as he awaited her response.  
  
She slowly sat up. "I guess I am."  
  
Her eyes searched his as he sat down on the other side of the floor, across from her. "Any word from Serru?"  
  
Rikku felt her heart drop at the thought of what could have happened to their other companion, as well as what was now going on with Yuna and Paine.  
  
"No, nothing," she simply said, eyes to the floor.  
  
"Oh..."  
  
She found herself looking up to study him. He looked tired and rumpled, as if he had been walking the entire day. She could see his exhaustion in his eye. The way it didn't seem to sparkle the way it usually did. He seemed to sense her eyes on him, since he looked up to meet her's.  
  
She quickly averted her eyes away from him.  
  
"What is it, Rikku?" Gippal asked quietly.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
As soon as she said that, Rikku wanted to slap herself around. She knew she was trying to avoid what he was inevitably about to say. The truth was, she knew he had already said it earlier that morning.  
  
"I know you want to ask me something, Rikku. Your eyes give it all away," he spoke again, almost answering her inner thoughts. "So just say it."  
  
She felt like hitting him. "What do you mean I want to say something?" her stubborn side said. He smiled crookedly, flicking away a few strands of his hair.  
  
"I'll let you answer your own question," Gippal replied after a while.  
  
"Argh. If you're just going to make fun of me like that, then I'm going to bed. Good night!" Rikku responded with a huff, dropping down on the cushion and throwing the blankets over her form as she did so. Although he didn't say anything else after that, she could feel his eyes on her.  
  
A few minutes passed and she thought he had given up since he wasn't saying anything more. Her thoughts were cut short however, when she felt her blanket sliding down her body, cold air hitting her skin. She opened her eyes. Gippal was leaning over her with a sly grin on his face. She made a face at him.  
  
"I knew you weren't asleep," he said with a light chuckle, looking down at her.  
  
Rikku sighed in defeat, grabbing the blanket that he had pulled away from her, and pulling it back and around herself. It was cold after all.  
  
"Yeah, well. I will now, so there!" she replied, trying to ignore his smiling face. She knew he had her with that one, but she had no intention of letting him know that.  
  
"Hey, there's something that's been on my mind," she heard him speak again. The tone in his voice seemed serious, a sudden change from his playfulness just a second ago. She pulled the covers down and sat up a bit, giving him his full attention. It was then that she saw his face, and she knew what he was going to ask.  
  
"This morning, uh...I don't really know how to say it..." Gippal began hesitantly. He raised a hand to smooth his hair back, avoiding her gaze.  
  
Rikku felt her stomach flip over at his words. This was too embarrassing, and she hoped her face didn't give it away. Thankfully he wasn't looking at her.  
  
He suddenly looked up to meet her gaze. Damn.  
  
"But uh, I know I felt something..." he continued on. He faltered a bit at his words when he saw the expression on her face. "So I just wanted to ask you..."  
  
Every word he spoke made Rikku want to just run out of that tent and douse her flaming face into the Moonflow waters. After all, the pond was just around the corner. She would have died out of her embarrassment, and the worst part of it of all was that it seemed like Gippal knew it was her who gave him that kiss earlier that day. And really though. Was it even a kiss?  
  
"What are you trying to say, Gippal?" Rikku asked, no longer able to take the small talk. He was taken aback by her sudden forwardness.  
  
"Were you the one who did it, Rikku?" he asked, his voice neutral. Moving closer to her, Rikku watched as Gippal stopped to sit right next to her.  
  
Her heart was pounding as he regarded her seriously. She knew he knew what she had done that morning, but why was he acting as if he didn't know? Rikku groaned inwardly again.  
  
His expression turned serious as he studied her face closely.  
  
"It's different from the real thing, you know."  
  
She turned her head to look at him again, startled by his words. "What?"  
He smiled gently, a mixture of playfulness and curiosity. He moved himself closer.  
  
Rikku didn't have a moment to think, before she suddenly felt the warmth of his soft lips lightly graze her own.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Woo! Sorry to leave you guys at that note, but it will continue in the next chapter. I promise!  
  
Oh, and thanks so much to everyone for the reviews. You make my days brighter. =) 


	9. Flying

A/N: Wee. Chapter 9 up. Enjoy it. =) That's all I really have to say for now. ^_~ My apologies that I took so long to get this one up. ;_; It's been hard for me to sit at the computer to actually write it. ^^;  
  
Well, I know this is what you've all been waiting for. ^^ Enjoy it.  
  
****  
  
{{ Chapter 9: Flying }}  
  
****  
  
"So, you know Rikku?"  
  
"Yes. You are Yuna, correct?"  
  
A pause.  
  
"Why did you help us anyway?" the other girl asked after some time had passed.  
  
He looked at her. She met his gaze fully with her dark ruby eyes, a dark wisp of hair falling in front of her forehead.  
  
"Who are you anyway?" one of their male companions asked before he could even answer the first question that was asked.  
  
"I am Serru. I received word from the Celsius about your situation and came out here as quickly as I could."  
  
Yuna turned to look at the young man, unable to contain her gratitude for what he had done for them. It was because of Serru that they were breathing the fresh air that filled her lungs now. She remembered that her eyes had begun to water from the heavy smoke that had been all around them. As she felt herself falling over because of her lack of air, heavy wind began to swirl about her and she suddenly looked up, seeing an all-too- familiar airship. It was the Celsius, and she could see a young man with dark hair looking down at them from the open hatch. He had thrown a rope down to them and here they were now.  
  
Looking out into the night sky, the stars twinkled down at her as a light breeze from the nearby window blew across her face, a refreshing change from the sweltering heat that had been from the fire earlier.  
  
She shook her head of the thoughts. There was no need to recall past events. It was all over now. Their lives were saved because of Serru.  
  
Her green and blue eyes drifted over to him. He was sitting on the other side of the Celsius' red seats. He was gazing out the window as well, a soft wind rustling his hair. She realized that he was indeed very striking. His dark features and bright eyes gave him a very handsome look.  
  
"So, are you going to tell us why you helped?" Paine repeated again. She had sat up fully this time, quickly wiping her face from the soot.  
  
Yuna turned to her friend and then turned to Serru for his answer. He seemed to hesitate slightly before finally looking towards them to respond.  
  
"It is because of your cousin," Serru spoke, looking at Yuna as he said so. He saw her raise her eyebrows as if stunned by his words, and couldn't help but smile in amusement. Undaunted, he continued. "Her worry for you was something I had not seen in a person in a long time, and my consciousness told me that I had to do something to ease her pain."  
  
"So you helped us..." Tidus trailed off with uncertainty as he listened to the Al Bhed's words. His blue eyes sparkled under the moonlight as he watched the group. Paine met his gaze as if silently agreeing that something was not quite right with this situation and with Serru, but—  
  
"Then let me take a moment to express my thanks to you, Serru," Isaaru suddenly spoke up from his position across their seats. His voice sounded clearer now, the hoarseness gone.  
  
"You are welcome, sir. I'm just glad I was able to reach the Ruins in time," Serru responded with a smile.  
  
***  
  
Her mind raced. The warmth of his lips on hers, his breaths coming out in short wisps on her skin as she felt one of his gloved hands come around the small of her back gently; his touch hypnotic. His fingers on her bare back, she began to feel him gently caress the soft skin. Her eyes fluttered closed. Shakily, she raised a hand to rest behind his neck and sighed softly against him.  
  
A few more seconds passed before she felt his lips slow down, but still lingered on hers for a few extra moments. She felt him slowly pull away, his spiky hair tickling her forehead as he did so.  
  
He looked up at her, beginning to regret what had just happened between them. The feeling of her soft lips was still fresh in his mind. He didn't know what was happening to him.  
  
"Gippal, I um..." he heard her begin, her eyes on the ground.  
  
He cringed at himself, anticipating the anger she must have felt for him at that moment.  
  
"No, you don't have to say anything, it was my fault and—" Gippal paused to look up into her face once more. He found himself unable to find his words as he saw Rikku lick her lips, her green eyes almost mischievously flickering up to see his expression.  
  
"I uh...didn't know what I was thinking—" Gippal began again as he watched her. He felt his pulse beating faster as she suddenly stood up and moved right in front of him. Struggling to control his breathing, he watched as she leaned down, her scent intoxicating him. His eyes widened again, her soft lips brushing across his.  
  
***  
  
"Now, I have asked Buddy to take us all to Luca."  
  
Tidus looked up in surprise. "Huh? What for—" he started, his words cut off by a sudden cough.  
  
"Are you ok?" Yuna asked softly, concern clear in her eyes as she moved close to him.  
  
Tidus said nothing, his coughs quieting before stopping completely. He looked towards Yuna and smiled at her reassuringly.  
  
"That is why," Serru answered with a nod towards Tidus. He motioned towards the group. "You are all in no shape to go back out there."  
  
Isaaru smiled. "Ah, so I take it you're taking us to a clinic in Luca, am I right?"  
  
"Yes. That is right." Serru stood up from the seat and made his way to the doorway leading out into the hall. "I'm sure you all know Cid. He'll be waiting for us in Luca. But...he was struck with worry when I told him what happened to all of you..." Serru trailed off uncertainly.  
  
"Uncle Cid? I hope we didn't worry him too much..." Yuna spoke quietly, looking at her tattered boots. The soot on the violet leather. The edges scuffed from running. She suddenly remembered something. Turning herself around to face Tidus who was sitting beside her, she looked at him curiously.  
  
"Can I ask you something?" Yuna said, her gaze drifting from Tidus and then to Isaaru. The two men looked up at her.  
  
"What is the matter, Lady Yuna?" Isaruu asked.  
  
"Yuna, what's up?" Tidus whispered as well. His blue eyes, although tired, were now curious as he regarded her. Paine crossed her arms, waiting what her friend was about to say.  
  
"When Paine and I found out that you and Isaaru needed help in the Zanarkand Ruins, we didn't know why you two were there in the first place...so I want to know now. Exactly what were you two doing there, and how did this fire start?" Yuna asked, causing Paine to sit up at her words.  
  
Tidus and Isaaru exchanged hesitant glances.  
  
Serru turned to look across the room. His hand dropped from the doorknob he was about to turn, when Yuna's question caught his attention as well.  
  
"You see, Lady Yuna. This was not supposed to be revealed to you and everyone else, but..." Isaaru said quietly. His eyes drifted over to Tidus, who realized that there was no point in hiding it now.  
  
"Yuna, Cid was the one who sent us out there," Tidus began to explain. He leaned back in his seat, a wave of exhaustion washing over him for a second. Blinking away his sudden dizziness, he continued on. Paine was now listening carefully.  
  
"I had originally intended to shut the Zanarkand Dome for good, but something seemed like it was beckoning me to return and check the area just one last time," Isaaru began seriously.  
  
Yuna and Paine nodded to themselves, recalling that Isaaru had indeed meant to close the Dome for a while. But wait...  
  
"So why did you go back there, Isaaru?" Yuna decided to ask.  
  
"It may sound strange, but I remember one night while I was standing upon one of the hills overlooking the shore near the Ruins, I could almost swear that I saw smoke rising from atop the Dome," Isaaru continued to explain.  
  
"Wait, smoke? From a fire, maybe?" Paine asked incredulously.  
  
"Yes, that is it. I thought it was a fire that could have been burning the Dome, so I rushed back as quickly as I could, and there was indeed a fire. Thankfully I had an Ice spell with me at the time and was able to stop it for the time being."  
  
"So there was a fire back then, too?" Yuna asked thoughtfully. She stood up and looked out the window, the white clouds passing them by.  
  
"Yes," Isaaru responded quietly, sensing Yuna's worry.  
  
"What's going on here? Why are all these fires showing up all of a sudden?" Paine exclaimed as she stood from her seat, moving to the other side of the room and crossing her arms.  
  
"I decided to contact Cid about the matter since he was the first person I knew who cared for the Zanarkand Ruins. He was enraged to say the least, so I was informed that he wanted to conduct an investigation."  
  
"So Cid called and told me to go with Isaaru on this investigation," Tidus added. He saw Yuna turn around to face them.  
  
"But why keep it a secret from us?" she asked after some time.  
  
He ran a hand through his hair. "He wanted me to help since I knew Zanarkand well and was the only person he knew who could help," Tidus replied simply, hoping Yuna wouldn't be angry. "Cid didn't want you to get involved."  
  
"Oh, I-I see..." Yuna said, beginning to understand.  
  
"Well it's too late to be saying that, don't you think?" Paine retorted. Her boots echoed across the metal flooring as she took a seat once again. "We're all involved in this now." Her ruby eyes flickered across the room. "And how about you? You seem quiet," she asked the other man.  
  
Serru chuckled at Paine's comment towards him. "I suppose you're right."  
  
"Care to explain what's bothering you?" Paine pressed on, one eyebrow raised.  
  
"Hm, perhaps I should tell you what your cousin has experienced as well..." Serru spoke up, returning to the seats where they were.  
  
"Rikku? What happened?" Tidus asked curiously. Yuna looked on in concern, the mention of something happening to her cousin deeply worrying her.  
  
They watched as the Al Bhed sat down, his brown hair shining from the moonlight. "I know this may not be the proper time, but she nearly experienced harm in a fire that broke out in Kilika a few days ago."  
  
"FIRE?!" Paine and Yuna exclaimed at once.  
  
"Damn, what the hell is going on here?" Paine mumbled to herself, regaining her composure.  
  
Serru fought his lips from curving up, trying his best to keep his face neutral. "I do not know. But whoever is responsible for these recent fires has done a good job at concealing his identity," Serru said.  
  
"He? How do you know it's a man who's doing this?" Isaaru asked, Serru's words striking him as odd.  
  
The Al Bhed froze. "Just a way of words. I don't know if the arsonist is a male or female," Serru continued, feeling his pulse slowing down again.  
  
"I see..." Isaaru replied. He watched as the Al Bhed turned his back to the group. Still, he couldn't help but shake off that nagging feeling that was tugging at his instincts. Something was not quite right with this young man...  
  
Serru's voice cut off his thoughts.  
  
"We will be arriving to Luca shortly. As soon as we get there, Cid will help you treat any injuries you may have," Serru explained, changing the subject completely.  
  
Paine narrowed her eyes at Serru's form, his back still turned to the rest of the group.  
  
***  
  
The morning mist hung lightly in the early air, causing her to blink her eyes from the moisture. Up above, the sunlight was beginning to stream through the thick canopy of trees, providing the first signs of a new day.  
  
Rikku couldn't help but hum a light tune. The previous night shocked her to say the least, yet something within her had awakened. Or rather, someone had awakened feelings she never thought she had.  
  
Gippal.  
  
Just the sound of his name caused a light shiver to run through her. Sensations of the kiss they shared came washing over her. His warmth, his touch, his scent. She shook her head, almost disbelieving that Gippal had actually kissed her.  
  
Never before had she felt this way over someone, let alone had anyone care about her like this. But this was a whole new world for her. Rikku could hardly contain her feelings. She felt like soaring high, flying into the end of forever.  
  
Still, something was telling her that Gippal was only trying to keep her mind off of Yuna and everyone else. Maybe he really didn't care about her and that the kiss was...  
  
"Stop it! That's not the way to think, Rikku!" she exclaimed aloud, scolding herself for thinking so negatively.  
  
She sighed. There was no way to win with herself, and she hated it.  
  
Deciding to head back into the clearing, she began to walk up the pathway. The sun was now in full view, the light streaming from the trees above, brighter than ever.  
  
Rounding the corner, she found herself running into a warm body, a flash of dark red catching her eye before she felt herself begin to fall backward from the impact. An arm slid around her body, preventing her from falling down.  
  
She felt her cheeks flaming, already knowing who her rescuer was. Her green eyes rose to his face, the characteristic green eye and black patch greeting her.  
  
"Hey, uh...you okay?" he asked, his voice low and soft, face mere inches above hers. His arm was warm around her, still holding her near him as if she was going to fall.  
  
Rikku looked up at him. "Uh, Ehehe...yeah. Um, sorry about that..." she began to say, preparing to step away from his gentle hold around her. But he didn't remove his arm from around her lower back.  
  
He gazed down at her for a few more moments before sliding his arm away from her, still watching her closely. Gippal realized that he was at a loss for words.  
  
'Damn, what's happening to me...?' his inner thoughts whispered as her eyes locked on his. He felt himself getting lost in the endless swirl of green. She smiled up at him, and he finally understood it.  
  
'I'm in love with her...' Gippal realized in disbelief. She was still smiling at him, her face gentle, her eyes sparkling. He felt himself reaching for her again.  
  
He seemed to move in slow motion as he felt himself raising a hand to her face. It didn't come as a shock anymore as his face neared hers, before her lips met his in a kiss.  
  
***  
  
"They're going to be just fine," Cid declared with a sigh. Although his tone was strong, his eyes were not. Serru could see that in the old man's face.  
  
"I'm glad to hear that, Sir."  
  
The two men began to walk down the hallway, heading towards the exit. Yuna, Tidus, Paine, and Isaaru were now being treated for their injuries. The doctors said that they would be ready to leave within a few days. Neither Al Bhed man said anything, yet the silence was comforting.  
  
At last they stepped out into the sunlight, the warm Lucan air hitting Serru's face.  
  
Cid suddenly stopped walking. He scratched the back of his head, something obviously bothering him.  
  
"Listen, kid. There's something I need to talk to you about..." the older man began.  
  
Serru stopped as well, turning to face him. "What is it, Sir?"  
  
"Ah, uh...well you see. Uh, it's about my daughter, Rikku. I'm sure you've met her," Cid began, his eyes on the ground.  
  
Serru blinked, his attention fully on Cid at the mention of Rikku's name. "Yes, I know her."  
  
"Alright, I'm just going to go right out and say this. Tysh...this isn't hard for me to say as father but..." Cid tried again. He was now pacing in front of a balloon stand, Serru continuing to listen to him.  
  
"Yes? What is it, Sir?"  
  
"Rikku's now getting to 'that age' and what I'm trying to say is that I want her to marry someone like you, son," Cid said in a rush, his words hitting Serru hard. Nevertheless, the younger Al Bhed knew what he heard.  
  
He could hardly believe his luck. His gaze drifted to Cid.  
  
"Cid, I'm not sure I can reply to what you've just told me..."  
  
The older man paused in his step, eyes flashing towards Serru. "What do you mean by that, son?" Cid demanded, taking a step towards him.  
  
Serru tried to keep a smile from forming on his face. "You see, I believe your daughter has already developed feelings for another..."  
  
Cid's eyes narrowed. "Who?" he demanded, his voice low.  
  
"I believe she may be in a relationship with Gippal."  
  
***  
  
A/N: Ah, so thank goodness I've finally finished this chapter! I'm so sorry everyone, for being so late with this release. ;_; Like I've mentioned, my schedule has been very hectic as of late, but I've done my best to please all of you who have remained loyal to the fic. ^^  
  
Thanks so much for all your wonderful reviews, everyone. I hope to get the next chapter out soon! 


	10. Timeless

A/N: So sorry for the late update! ; It's been a rough few weeks with school and all, but I am glad that I didn't forget all my ideas for the story. =p Well, I guess that's all. Thanks everyone for sticking with me with this. You're all so great! =)  
  
EDIT: It seems as if FF.net isn't noticing my breaks in between dialogues. Please let me know if they do show up.  
  
=====  
  
{{ Chapter 10: Timeless }}  
  
=====  
  
A sharp beep suddenly cut through the air, startling them. Gippal paused, looking from Rikku to the communication device that hung on his hip. A faint blue light glowed from the small monitor of the device as the beeping continued. Rikku's eyes widened as she watched Gippal swiftly unhook it and quickly shot her a glance. They both knew who it was.  
  
"It's me," Gippal's voice spoke as he clicked the button to receive the message. A voice spoke back, the sound almost muffled by some kind of commotion that was in the background.  
  
"Sir?! Sir! Is that you, Gippal?" Rikku could hear the voice shout from the device. She watched as Gippal frowned in concern, wondering why it seemed like something was wrong. He brought the device to his lips, his finger on the button.  
  
"Yeah, what's up? You guys find anything in Kilika? It's been a while, and you guys never called! What happened?" Gippal spoke into the glowing monitor. Rikku couldn't help but feel dread building up in her stomach. She watched Gippal's face in worry. He awaited the response from the other line.  
  
A loud, hissing noise from the device caused Gippal to suddenly hold it away from him. He frowned again, but brought the piece back to his ear as the Al Bhed spoke back.  
  
"We found evidence, Sir. At first we almost missed it...but we got it, Gippal," the Al Bhed responded, his voice sounding much more calm than before. The background noise had also cleared up.  
  
Gippal felt his pulse race faster. "What did you find? Did you get evidence on the Guado for what they did?" he asked into the device. Rikku clasped her gloved hands in front of her, feeling more confident that they would finally catch who had been setting the fires. Her green eyes flickered up to Gippal and the device in his hand. He met her gaze, sharing her thoughts as well. A hissing noise from the device caused them both to look at it again.  
  
"Sir..." the man's voice began. A hiss and what sounded like a loud click came from the device, as if he had been holding it too close to his mouth. "...we didn't get anything on the Guado..."  
  
Gippal raised his eyebrows, feeling his anger beginning to build up. "What the hell do you mean? You just said that you found evidence on—"  
  
The voice on the device interrupted him.  
  
"Gippal, the Guado weren't the ones who did it, but we did find some other evidence on—"  
  
A gunshot rang out from the speaker, before the line went dead.  
  
========  
  
Cid felt that his mouth was dry, at a loss for words. He didn't know what angered him more--the fact that Serru had bluntly said Rikku was in a relationship, or the fact that his daughter may have been involved with someone. Cid couldn't quite place his finger on it, but he knew that he was indeed angry. His brown eyes raised to meet Serru's green ones.  
  
"What are you sayin' boy?" Cid finally asked. He saw the other young man refuse to meet his gaze.  
  
Serru shifted on one foot, the gravel beneath him crunching from his weight. He tried to keep his face completely neutral. He knew that he had to play this conversation out properly.  
  
"Well, Sir...as you know, I spent some time with Rikku and Gippal before I went to Zanarkand to rescue the others..." Serru began. He saw Cid's hard eyes on him and decided to stop speaking, as if Cid wanted to cut in with something of his own to say.  
  
"Time with them? And where exactly were you kids?" Cid demanded gruffly. He had his large arms crossed in front of him as he waited for Serru to respond.  
  
"Ah, well it was a few days ago near the Moonflow banks. Gippal and Rikku stayed behind while the others went to investigate Kilika after the fire and..."  
  
"What exactly has been going on here?! That daughter of mine! She's off doing crazy things again, and I don't even know!" Cid exclaimed suddenly. He was facing Serru fully this time.  
  
Serru blinked, not realizing that this was the reaction he was going to get from the older man. Cid looked at him again.  
  
"Tell me everything, Serru."  
  
=========  
  
Yuna stirred, the foggy remnants of a dream quickly dissipating under the morning sunlight. She was lying down. Warm blankets covered her, and she slowly realized that she was in a room, the only light coming from a nearby window.  
  
"Where...am I?" she heard herself whisper, one hand coming up to brush the hair away from her face.  
  
"Yuna? You awake?" came a voice from the other side of her.  
  
She turned her head and saw a flash of black, familiar ruby eyes staring back at her from the other bed that was in the room.  
  
"Paine? What happened?" Yuna asked. She still felt a little dizzy.  
  
"You passed out right when we arrived here. We didn't expect you to, but I guess you did. I guess you inhaled too much smoke back there..." Paine added with a light chuckle.  
  
Yuna couldn't help but smile at her friend's words. A thought came to her.  
  
"The others? Are they alright?" she asked, sitting up on her elbows.  
  
Paine sat up from her bed, pulling the curtains from the nearby window open.  
  
"They're fine. Sleeping right in the next room."  
  
Yuna sighed in relief, beginning to lay back into the pillow again. "It's good to hear that."  
  
=========  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
Rikku watched Gippal grit his teeth in frustration, quickly attaching the device at his hip. He looked up at her, a hint of unease present in his good eye.  
  
"There's nothing we can do here now. We've gotta get back to Kilika," Gippal said simply, voice surprisingly even despite his earlier frustration. Rikku nodded silently, her gaze drifting over to the campsite around them. He seemed to read her mind at that moment.  
  
"We'll have to leave everything. There's no time, and that last transmission is really getting to me..." he trailed off, bending down to search for his bag. Rikku bent down next to him, deciding that it was time to gather her stuff as well. She paused for a moment and looked at him. He wasn't looking at her, but suddenly stopped moving and met her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I know, Rikku. I'm worried about them too..." Gippal said softly, looking up into the sky.  
  
=====  
  
"So that's what's been goin' on here, hm?" Cid muttered in disbelief. He began to walk out towards the docks, with the other young man right behind him.  
  
"Yes, that's how it's been, Sir," Serru replied finally, catching up to Cid.  
  
Serru had just finished explaining the recent week to Cid, as he listened in stunned silence. He never expected to hear such a story about his daughter, let alone so soon. Rikku had spent several days and nights with Gippal. Cid knew and actually met the leader of the Machine Faction, but...it was still difficult to accept the fact that his daughter wasn't a little girl anymore. Okay, so he wasn't being completely honest with himself.  
  
Cid knew that she would eventually leave and settle down with a life and family of her own. He had known that from the moment she was born. Rikku carried that youthful spark with her, cheerful, but all the same wise as well. How could any man not fall for her? He sighed.  
  
He assumed that it was the price of being a father. It was difficult for him to let go. She was his only daughter, and youngest child. He shook his head and stopped walking, a sudden realization dawning over him.  
  
Serru paused and looked at Cid. The older man was looking at the ground.  
  
"I-Is something the matter, Sir?" Serru decided to ask after some time had passed.  
  
Cid looked up, eyes narrowing suddenly at Serru's voice. "I've changed my mind."  
  
"What? What do you mean, Cid?" Serru asked, startled by the other man's change of attitude. They were now standing at the docks, the early morning sea breeze a refreshing change to the hot sun.  
  
"Forget what I said earlier," Cid continued to say. He looked out into the clear waters. Serru stepped up next to him, his gaze still on Cid.  
  
"You mean—"  
  
"Yeah," Cid interrupted. He turned around and faced Serru fully. The younger Al Bhed met Cid's brown eyes. "I'll let Rikku decide her own future...including who she wants to be with."  
  
=====  
  
"So, how exactly are we gonna get back to Kilika?" Rikku asked, the sight of the Moonflow banks making her realize that they were stranded. Gippal came up and stood next to her.  
  
"Don't think it's over yet, Rikku," Gippal replied with a crooked smile. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him, the confidence in his voice hard to believe.  
  
"You have a plan?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"Of course. The men will be arriving in about twenty minutes to fly us to Kilika," Gippal explained simply, sitting down on the ground. He looked up at her from his position below and couldn't help but smile at the shocked expression on her face.  
  
"Exactly how many airships DO you have, Gippal?" Rikku asked in disbelief, hands on her hips as she moved to stand in front of him.  
  
He looked up to study her fondly. Her figure was just barely blocking the sunlight from the horizon, a gentle wind causing her long hair to blow behind her. She was still awaiting his response, but didn't notice the smirk on his face.  
  
With one swift movement, Gippal had reached out to grab her hands and pulled her down to him. She gasped in surprise, landing on top of him as they both fell backwards onto the ground. His chest was warm, and she stared into his smiling face, rolling her eyes at him.  
  
"Is this the way you answer my question?" Rikku asked with a light giggle, pausing as she felt one of his hands rest on her back.  
  
Gippal smiled innocently. "Hm? What do you mean?" he asked softly. She felt his other hand come around her and began to feel her heart beating faster.  
  
"You know what I mean, Gippal," Rikku said, sticking her tongue out at him. One of his hands came up behind her head, and she could feel his fingers sliding through her hair. He gently pulled her face close to his.  
  
"Well in that case, I guess I'll have to answer you now, right?" Gippal asked again, his voice mischievous. Rikku watched as he leaned her face closer to him, his lips just millimeters below hers. Expecting him to kiss her, she was surprised when he moved his lips near her ear instead.  
  
"Three..." he whispered, breath warm against her skin. She tried to suppress a shiver.  
  
"W-What?" Rikku asked, the sensations Gippal was causing her to feel getting the best of her. He had one hand stroking her hair, while the other rested on the small of her back. She could feel his heartbeat below her, Gippal's warmth enveloping all around.  
  
"...airships," Gippal finished.  
  
======  
  
Serru could not believe his ears. He stared at Cid in shock.  
  
"S-Sir, you cannot possibly mean that you actually approve of Rikku spending so much time with Gippal...?" Serru asked. Cid had his back to him.  
  
"No, son. I didn't say I liked Gippal at all. Hell, I don't even LIKE the kid...but," Cid began, finally turning to face Serru. The blue water caused the younger man's green eyes to be clearer than usual as Cid watched him. He sighed. "I'll let Rikku figure out what she wants. In all my years here, I know for a fact that the best way to learn from something is to actually experience it," Cid explained, his gaze hard on Serru.  
  
The younger Al Bhed chose to remain quiet.  
  
"I guess what I'm trying to say here, son, is that it's up to her. It's her decision now," Cid finished.  
  
Serru paused at that, Cid's words ringing in his ears. He tried to hide a smirk, realizing that this could turn out better than he expected.  
  
=======  
  
Rikku stood on the balcony overlooking the Cabin, her eyes glancing around the elaborate airship, trying to take in everything at once. The new airship had just picked them up a few minutes ago.  
  
For a small ship, the interior was surprisingly detailed. Unlike previous airships she had been in, this one had padded walls that kept in warmth, as well as added a more welcoming feeling. The floors were translucent, blue and yellow lights illuminating the pathways beneath. From her position on the balcony, she could also see a large aquarium on the right side of the wall, little colored fish swimming about here and there.  
  
A pair of arms came around her from behind, startling her for a moment. She gasped.  
  
"Hey, did I scare you?" Gippal's voice asked, turning her around to face him. She shook her head, and smiled at her own silliness.  
  
"No, you didn't," Rikku replied, feeling her cheeks warming up from the closeness of his body to hers. She had her eyes down.  
  
"Hm, I dunno. It looked like I scared you there for a minute..." Gippal continued, a teasing tone in his voice. He backed away for a moment and studied her.  
  
"Argh! Fine!" Rikku exclaimed in defeat, throwing her arms in the air. She looked down again, playing with her boot with her other foot. "I guess I did get scared there for a minute..." she added softly.  
  
Gippal couldn't help but chuckle, taking a step closer to her again. He placed a hand on her shoulder. She was shaking.  
  
"Whoa, what's the matter? You're shaking..." Gippal asked with concern, trying to look into her eyes. She didn't look up to meet his gaze. "It's because of the others...right?" he whispered. As soon as the words left his mouth, he mentally hit himself. Of course that's what was bothering her.  
  
"Yeah, we haven't gotten any word from them at all..." Rikku said softly. She turned up to look at him. "Do you think they're okay?"  
  
Gippal looked down, the hurt expression on her face unbearable to see. He was about to answer, when Rikku suddenly threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. Startled, but not too surprised, he put his arms around her as well, stroking her back comfortingly.  
  
"It's not over yet, Rikku. Everything will be alright in the end, I promise."  
  
======  
  
"The doctor will be moving you two out shortly."  
  
Paine sat up from the bed, squinting at the form that stood at the doorway. "What? Where are we going?" she asked, tossing her bangs away from her face.  
  
The nurse took a step into the room, and Paine finally saw her face, a sense of fear evident on her features. Something was not right here.  
  
"Paine...what's going on?" Yuna asked from her bed, sitting up to look at the doorway.  
  
"Yuna, I'm not sure but—" Paine began but froze when another figure entered the room, a bright gleam catching the warrior's eye. Her eyes narrowed at the expression on his face.  
  
"Serru...what the hell is going on here?" Paine asked, the situation deeply bothering her. Before she could open her mouth again, she saw that the gleam was from a knife that the Al Bhed was holding. She looked up into Serru's face, realizing that he knew that she knew what was happening.  
  
He smirked. "Gather your things, ladies. You're coming with me."  
  
=========  
  
"Sir, where is the next destination?" a man asked from the right side of the stairs. He paused shortly at the sight of the girl in Gippal's arms.  
  
Gippal looked over Rikku's head at the man. He pulled back a bit and motioned with one hand. "Direct the ship towards Kilika. We'll need to meet up with the others," he said, not noticing the embarrassment on the other Al Bhed's face.  
  
"Y-Yessir," the man replied shortly before turning to walk quickly down the short flight of stairs towards the elevator.  
  
"Rikku, I'll need to head down toward the bridge for a bit. To make sure things are running right..." Gippal said, stepping back from her. "Are you okay?" he asked when she didn't reply.  
  
Rikku nodded, quickly composing herself. "Yeah...um, sorry about this," she apologized.  
Gippal bent down to kiss her cheek. "Hey, don't worry about it. You don't need to apologize."  
  
She nodded again. "Thanks, Gippal."  
  
He smiled, glad that she was fine again. "I'll be back here in a few. You goin' to be staying up here?" Gippal asked, motioning towards the Cabin below the balcony.  
  
Rikku giggled, feeling much better. "Nah, I think I'll take a look around the airship," she replied with a wink.  
  
Gippal laughed, beginning to head down the stairs. "Alright then. I'll see you later," he waved.  
  
"Okay," she replied with a smile.  
  
Looking around, Rikku noticed that she really didn't know where to start exploring. The airship was small, but there were so many pathways and rooms that led to one another. Deciding to head down the left side of the stairs, she left the balcony to find the elevator.  
  
Her eyes were on the floor, the brightly colored lights a nice feature to the cheerful interior of the airship. Humming a soft tune that Yuna had taught her a few weeks before, she rounded a corner and finally saw the metallic doors of the elevator.  
  
"Ah, finally," Rikku said softly to herself.  
  
She had barely taken a step towards the hall when she was suddenly pulled into a dark corner, rough hands closing around her arms forcefully. She couldn't scream, a hand around her mouth. A warm breath whispered darkly into her ear as she was pressed into the wall.  
  
"Finally indeed," a male voice spoke softly.  
  
=======  
  
A/N: Had to end it there! Heh, this is a bit reminiscent to my other fic when each chapter ended at a cliffhanger. =p  
  
Well I hope you guys liked that one. It's been a while since I've given you all an update, so I hope you enjoyed it. Promise I'll work on Chapter 11 soon so I can get it up quickly as well.   
  
Oh, have you guys ever seen the music video (PV) of Ayumi Hamasaki's "Real me" song? If you have, then take a look at the colored floors during the dance scene of her music video. That's exactly the look I meant when I described this airship's colored floors.   
  
Again, thanks for all your support, everyone! 


	11. Scattering Snow

A/N: First of all, I'd like to take a moment to describe myself as I was writing this chapter. XD I was writing this and saying stuff like, "Man, I've GOT to put in that one scene, and Oh! Oh! I love the way that part was written! Etc." I really can get carried away with myself when I write these chapters sometimes...it's quite amusing. Yeah, so needless to say, I had fun writing this one.   
  
Hm, what else...oh yeah. This is probably going to be considered as the "true turning point" in the story, simply because of the events that are about to happen here. I've also thrown in a twist to the story, but I'll let you guys read this chapter to find out what it is. =p  
  
To KURAI YUME: I just have to mention how your review for Chapter 10 made me smile. =) Thanks so much for your comment, and to answer your question about how "I make Gippal hotter in each chapter," I don't quite know myself. ; I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I do wish that Square Enix put more emphasis on Gippal's personality. So what I strived for in this story was to portray Gippal the way I saw him in the game, as well as add what else I thought about him. =)  
  
And again, a big thanks to everyone who has been reading and enjoying the fic.   
  
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{{ Chapter 11: Scattering Snow}}  
  
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Rikku gasped, struggling to take in air. She was whimpering, mostly out of fear. A hand was clasped hard on her mouth, and one strong arm pinned her against the wall of the dim corner of the hallway. An evident masculine scent floated into her nose, vaguely reminding her of the desert. His hands were surprisingly soft on her skin, and she could feel that he wasn't wearing any gloves. But he held her tightly nonetheless.  
  
Mind racing as she struggled to break free, she felt him lean down near her again.  
  
"I never thought it would be this easy to catch you..." Rikku heard him whisper in her ear, breath hot. She frowned in disgust, trying to break free of the man's iron grip. But it was no use. He was too strong for her.  
  
"Wh-Who are you?!" she managed to choke out after she felt one of his hands loosen around her mouth.  
  
He had her firmly against a wall in the shadows of the hallway, so she couldn't see his face. But from the contours of his features, Rikku could see him smirk at her as he spoke.  
  
"Let's just say that a friend of yours sent me to get you," the man responded. Rikku saw that he had deep brown hair, wisps of strands falling in front of his eyes. She could feel the fabric of his clothing brushing against her bare stomach.  
  
She suddenly felt cold metal pressing into her side. Rikku froze and looked up at the man's face, only seeing shadows.  
  
"Don't even think of trying anything. I wouldn't want to hurt that pretty skin of yours," he whispered, pressing the cold object into her side. She heard herself whimper, wanting to slap herself for acting so helpless.  
  
Rikku paused, suddenly remembering what Brother had taught her when they were children. Her eyes flickered up to his face. He wasn't holding onto her as tightly as he had before. Now was her chance. Quickly, without another second thought, she raised her knee, kicking the man hard between his legs.  
  
He let out a yell, stumbling onto the ground. She moved quickly, dodging his body and began to run.  
  
She had not even taken two steps before she felt his hand clasp around her ankles and pull her down, causing her to land painfully on her elbows.  
  
"You can't get away that easily. I'm getting paid to get you, y'know..." the man gasped out, his face finally visible. Rikku saw that he was in his early twenties, with chestnut hair and deep brown eyes. He held a small metallic gun pointed at her, causing any hope she had of escaping to shatter. She froze.  
  
Even if she screamed, no one would hear her, Rikku realized in horror.  
  
"Gippal..." she whispered shakily, watching as the man stood up and grabbed her roughly by the arm, forcing her to stand up as well. He held the gun pointed at her side once more.  
  
"Gippal? Is that your knight in shining armor?" the man laughed, leading them towards the other side of the ship. Rikku tried to dig her heels, but she knew it would be no use. He could shoot her in an instant, and she wasn't even armed with her own weapon. "Sorry honey, he won't be saving you this time," the man continued to speak, breaking into her thoughts.  
  
Rikku felt tears threatening her eyes. Angry and frightened, she blinked, trying to fight them back. This wasn't any time to be crying.  
  
He continued to lead them out a back pathway, away from any person on the airship. Rikku felt her heart sinking. Why the hell was this part of the airship so empty? Surely someone would come out and see her in trouble, right? Her eyes looked at the man. He was Al Bhed! Why hadn't she noticed it before? There was nothing strange about his appearance at all...no wonder he was able to move about freely on the airship...  
  
There had to be some way of leaving a sign for Gippal to see. There just had to be.  
  
"Don't even try to pull off anything. They'll never find you," he spoke suddenly, as if reading her thoughts. He turned to her and grinned, flashing a set of perfect teeth.  
  
She suddenly thought of it. Carefully, without making a sound, Rikku brought her hand up to her left ear and unhooked the long earring. She glanced up at him again and saw that he was staring straight ahead, his arm tight around her arm as he continued to lead them out.  
  
Moving her arm behind her back, earring in hand, she let the jewelry fall as they continued to walk away. She didn't dare glance behind her back.  
  
"Watch your step," the man spoke up again, holding open a door. A small airship waited outside, its hatch already open to them. Rikku looked up at him, his brown eyes burning into hers. "I'm not surprised I was paid to capture you..." he said quietly, his eyes scanning her up and down. She felt her cheeks flaming, and she wanted to scream for help. "You really are something..."  
  
Rikku felt her stomach dropping, his words making her sick by the minute. The same tears she felt earlier were beginning to build again, but she wouldn't let them fall.  
  
"They'll find me. Count on it," she spat at him, climbing into the next airship with his gun still pointed at her back.  
  
====  
  
"Arrggh!" Paine exclaimed, pulling roughly on the handcuffs. It was no use. They were attached too strongly into the wall.  
  
"Stop it, Paine. You'll just hurt yourself..." Yuna whispered softly. She looked up at her friend, her eyes expressionless.  
  
Paine spun around to face Yuna. "I need to do something! Those bastards locked us up in here, and I need to know why!" she exclaimed. Paine's normally calm voice had risen sharply, their current situation being the cause. Yuna said nothing, but remained seated on the cold floor. Paine snorted. "And the only way I'll get my answers is by getting the hell outta here!" Paine exclaimed again, tugging on the handcuffs again, the chains echoing in Yuna's ears.  
  
She looked up at Paine, realization dawning on her. She stood up, causing the other woman to face her.  
  
"Reach into my back pocket. I have a lock pick in there," Yuna said simply.  
  
Paine's eyes widened at her friend's extreme calm. She spun on her heel. "You've had it there the whole time?!"  
  
Yuna couldn't help but laugh quietly. "It's been there so long, I guess I just remembered it now," she answered in embarrassment.  
  
Paine shook her head but smiled nevertheless, her eyes flashing as she moved around to get the lock pick from Yuna's pocket.  
  
"Good, then we're busting out of here."  
  
=====  
  
"Rikku, you up here...?" Gippal called softly, entering the Cabin.  
  
Silence.  
  
He paused, brow furrowing.  
  
"Damn, where is she?" he asked himself aloud, beginning to head back up the stairs towards the hallway. He couldn't quite place it, but for some reason, he was growing really worried.  
  
Gippal turned the next corner, his boots echoing loudly on the illuminated flooring. He looked straight ahead, when a flash of yellow immediately caught his eye. Backtracking his steps, he could see a small object on the other side of the hallway, bright on the ground.  
  
Curious, he made his way over to it and picked it up, heart sinking as he realized that it was Rikku's earring. He suddenly felt his hand instinctively reach behind him to pull out a small gun. His eyes scanned the hallway, realizing for the first time that this part of the airship was always deserted. There didn't seem to be anyone else here...  
  
A faint sound behind him caused Gippal to spin around. The emergency side hatch...open?!  
  
He ran towards it, heart pounding, and threw it open. The bright sunlight greeted him, and he squinted.  
  
It was then that he saw it. A small airship flying away...one of his own, and in the window...Rikku?! He could see her face clearly from where he stood. She was looking straight ahead as the airship continued to fly off into the distance.  
  
"What's she doing there?! Rikku!!" Gippal yelled out at her. But he knew it was no use. The ship was already too far.  
  
Cursing under his breath, he slammed the door shut, running as fast as he could back to the bridge.  
  
=====  
  
Rikku thought she saw a flicker of movement from the hatch of Gippal's airship. She gazed out the window towards it. No. It must have been her imagination...  
  
She looked back inside at her surroundings, feeling a pair of eyes on her. Her gaze flickered up. The young man was staring hard at her.  
  
"If I wasn't getting paid for this, I'd take you away myself and never bring you back," he spoke, his voice soft. He sat opposite her in the small airship. She moved her gaze away from him, the man's words making her nervous.  
  
"Where...are you taking me?" she managed to whisper, feeling his eyes still on her. She heard him shift in his seat.  
  
"Macalania Temple. Your presence is expected there," he responded simply, looking out the window. It was here that Rikku turned to look at him. She still didn't know his name.  
  
"Who are you?" Rikku decided to ask. She figured that she would need his name later when she did manage to escape. Knowing his name meant that it would be easier to get her revenge on him...  
  
"You can call me Sasuno," he replied calmly. He seemed to smile warmly this time...or was it Rikku's eyes deceiving her?  
  
She looked at him from across the space between them, wondering why he was doing this. Clearly it seemed that Sasuno was only doing this for the money, but why else was he beginning to treat her differently than when she first met him... She shook her head, realizing that there was no way she would be getting answers today.  
  
"Listen, Rikku...I just have to say how sorry I am for doing this to you..." Sasuno suddenly spoke up, his words surprising her. He had his eyes to the floor, hands folded in front of him, elbows on his knees.  
  
"How...do you know my name...?" Rikku asked, trying to look into his face for any answers on who exactly this young man was.  
  
Sasuno paused, beginning to look worried. His brown bangs fell into his eyes and he quickly brushed them back, meeting her gaze.  
  
"I was given the job to capture you—"  
  
"Who sent you?" Rikku interrupted, leaning towards him as she demanded an answer. He seemed to lean slightly back and away, as if intimidated by her. Rikku noticed this.  
  
Sasuno seemed to falter with his words. "Let's just say that you'll see once we get there..." he answered, his voice even.  
  
Rikku searched his face for a moment longer before leaning back into her seat, her gaze out the window. A ray of sunlight streamed through the window and danced on her skin. Rikku managed to get a look at her upper arm for the first time since they left the other airship. It was slightly red and felt swollen from Sasuno's earlier grip. She rubbed on it gingerly with one hand and winced, hoping that he didn't see her expression.  
  
"I'm...sorry for that," Sasuno spoke quietly from across her. Rikku looked up at him. His brown eyes were on her arm.  
  
She shook her head. "I guess you were just...doing your job," Rikku answered coldly, eyeing the bruises on her arm. She didn't notice that she was still rubbing it before she saw Sasuno move over to sit beside her, removing her hand and replacing it with his own.  
  
"I really am sorry, Rikku. Please...I hope you can forgive me for that..." Sasuno said to her, rubbing her arm gently with one hand. Rikku had to suppress a shiver from how soft his hands were. She could sense his eyes on her, but chose to keep her gaze averted from his.  
  
"We have landed," the pilot suddenly announced from the front seat. Rikku paused and looked out the window. White snow greeted her eyes as she took in the familiar sight of the Macalania Temple. Outside, light snowflakes fell gracefully down, disappearing in the endless sea of white as they landed on the ground.  
  
She felt Sasuno release his hands from her arm before standing up. Rikku looked after him, not quite knowing what to do. He paused and looked at her.  
  
"Follow me, Rikku," he spoke softly, offering a hand to her. Rikku hesitated for a moment before offering her hand to his. He seemed to smile at her as he led her down the ramp. Rikku watched as Sasuno jumped off and landed on the snow, white powder scattering as his boots hit the ground. She stood crouched on the edge of the open airship doors, before she saw Sasuno open his arms to her.  
  
"Jump down. I'll catch you," he said to her, the wind blowing his hair and causing him to blink his bangs away.  
  
Rikku paused again, but decided that there was no other choice. She nodded once and met his gaze. He nodded back to her and stood waiting, arms out. She grasped the sides of the doorway and jumped down, shutting her eyes as cold air hit her skin.  
  
Sasuno's eyes widened as he caught her and stumbled backwards, causing them both to fall on the snow. Rikku landed on top of him, her warm body dangerously close to his. He blinked, realizing that he had his hands around her lower back. She looked up at him, snow clinging to her long bangs. Sasuno blinked again, struggling to pull them both back on their feet and regain his own composure.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked in embarrassment, helping her up.  
  
Rikku brushed her hair away, shaking off the feeling of falling down. She nodded to him. "Y-Yeah...I think so..." she responded, her legs feeling wobbly as she stood.  
  
The Macalania air hit her skin, and although it wasn't too windy, it was still quite cold outside. She felt her teeth chattering.  
  
Sasuno had already begun to walk ahead of her, expecting Rikku to follow. He turned to look behind his back, noticing that she was lagging behind.  
  
"Hey, are you okay?" Sasuno asked, studying her. She was walking with her arms around herself. "You're cold," he said quietly, walking over to her and removing his jacket. Rikku could only look up at him through her bangs. He placed it around her shoulders, the jacket obviously too big for her.  
  
"Th-thanks...Sa...suno..." Rikku managed to reply, truly grateful for his sudden show of caring. She began to follow him up the pathway to the temple. Sasuno walked a great distance ahead of her, and she wondered why she didn't just run away from him right now. A shiver raced up her spine, her teeth beginning to chatter loudly this time. 'Tysh...there's no way I can escape in this condition...' Rikku thought to herself.  
  
She stuck her hand into the right pocket of the jacket, trying to warm her hands. A cold metallic object caught her attention and she gingerly pulled it out of the pocket, realizing that it was the gun that Sasuno had pointed at her earlier. Her green eyes looked up to see if he was watching her.  
  
He wasn't.  
  
Quickly taking it out of the pocket, she slid the gun into the small pack that was attached around her belt, deciding that it may be able to help her later.  
  
"We're here, Rikku," Sasuno suddenly announced, causing Rikku to wonder if he had seen her. His brown eyes were neutral. It didn't seem like he noticed anything.  
  
She walked towards him, nodding briefly.  
  
"Okay," Rikku responded, stepping into the doors of the temple. The warmth quickly enveloped her. She was surprised at herself. For a hostage, Rikku was shocked at how calm she had become. A hand came to rest on her shoulder.  
  
"I'll take you to your room now," Sasuno announced quietly to her. It seemed as if he was trying to keep his voice low. Rikku looked up into his face. From the dimly-lit entrance hall, she could see that he was hesitating with this whole situation. She nodded.  
  
Sasuno began to walk towards a hallway to the right, causing Rikku to raise her eyebrows curiously. This hall didn't seem like it was here two years ago...  
  
He continued to lead her down the corridor, the lights seeming to get brighter with each step they took. Sasuno's boots echoed across the ground as he soon lead her into a large area, to what looked like a ballroom. Rikku stopped walking.  
  
"Something the matter?" he asked, noticing Rikku's expression as she gazed around the bright room.  
  
"When did this place get this extra area?" Rikku asked, looking down at her feet. The floors were perfectly polished, and she could see her reflection in it.  
  
Sasuno smiled, shaking his head at her disbelief. "This was all just built last year. Apparently, some small group of Al Bhed wanted it built," Sasuno explained as he stopped at two double doors at the end of the hallway.  
  
Rikku looked up at him. "Al Bhed? Which faction built this?"  
  
He suddenly cleared his throat, pausing for a moment to open the door for her. Rikku continued to look up at him, stepping through the door as she awaited his answer. She saw that he was looking straight over her head. Troubled, she turned around to look into the room as well.  
  
Her heart sank.  
  
"Welcome, Rikku," Serru smiled.  
  
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A/N: Not much to say really, except I'm really anxious to start writing Chapter 12. I already know exactly what's going to happen in it, so all I need to do is write it all out. =p  
  
See you guys in the next one! 


	12. Dreams of Tomorrow

A/N: Hm, I don't know which chapter was my favorite; this one or the previous one. But first, thanks so much for your wonderful reviews, everyone! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter. Heh, I knew you would.   
  
Oh, one more thing. Someone mentioned that I seem to favor names that begin with the letter "S." So try this out for me. Anyone who has an Al Bhed translator, translate Sasuno's name from Al Bhed into English, and see what word you get. =p  
  
If you don't know what word "Sasuno" from Al Bhed to English spells, ask me in an email. .  
  
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{{ Chapter 12: Dreams of Tomorrow}}  
  
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"S-Serru...?" Rikku heard herself whisper, taking a step back. She couldn't believe it. His green eyes seemed to glow as he smiled at her, standing up from the chair.  
  
Her legs suddenly felt weak, and for a moment it seemed as if everything was tilting all around her. A firm hand on her shoulder snapped her out of reverie, causing her vision and mind to clear up again.  
  
Serru smiled, offering a gloved hand to her.  
  
"It's so nice to see you again, Rikku," he spoke confidently, stopping right in front of her.  
  
Rikku could simply stand there, green eyes blazing. A rush of emotions washed over her—confusion, fear, but most of all, anger. She felt her hand clenching and unclenching, a sign that her anger was getting the best of her.  
  
"Sasuno, I take it that all went smoothly with her?" Serru suddenly spoke up, causing Rikku to shift her attention back to him. She stepped to the side a bit, moving so that she could see both of them at the same time. Her eyes narrowed at Serru.  
  
Sasuno let his gaze linger on Rikku for a moment before turning back to Serru. "Y-Yeah, it went fine..." he trailed off, unable to think of what exactly he wanted to say here. He was torn. Torn between doing what he knew was right, and doing this in order to survive. His eyes flickered back to Rikku, who was glaring hard at Serru, although the other man didn't seem to notice the girl's eyes on him.  
  
"Good, then why don't you show Rikku her room?" Serru asked, his hands clasped behind him. Rikku saw him smile at her, but turned her head away in disgust. He seemed to smirk at this, shaking his head a bit in amusement.  
  
"Rikku, I'll take you now..." Sasuno spoke up right then. She turned to face him, seeing the apologetic look in his chestnut eyes. Nodding, she followed him out the door, not looking back at Serru again.  
  
Sasuno let her pass by him, before turning around and pulling the double doors tightly shut. He stole a glance at Serru one last time before the doors closed.  
  
They stood in silence in the hall for some time.  
  
"What's he thinkin' anyway?!" Rikku finally exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, her orange scarf trailing behind her as she began to pace in front of Sasuno. He could only watch, guilt eating away at him.  
  
"Listen Rikku, I don't think I had the chance to properly apologize to you after everything..." Sasuno began thoughtfully. He looked up to see if she was looking at him. She was, and to his surprise, Rikku began to chuckle softly.  
  
"You know something," she began, adjusting her gloves. "I was terrified of you when you cornered me at first, but when you started to act nicely on the airship...I..." Rikku trailed off, suddenly looking at the polished floors beneath them. Her reflection stared back at her.  
  
"I uh..." Sasuno began, immediately getting cut off by Rikku, who suddenly hit him on the shoulder, albeit softly. He raised an eyebrow at her, smiling sideways. "What was that for?"  
  
She laughed again. "That's my way of saying sorry for kneeing you back there."  
  
Sasuno laughed as well, his voice echoing across the empty hallway. "I guess we're even then, huh?" he asked, remembering his shock at how strong Rikku was after he was kneed by her. He couldn't help but laugh at the memory.  
  
Rikku studied him. His chestnut eyes sparkled as he laughed, causing her to shake her head at his silliness.  
  
"I um..." she began hesitantly. He looked up momentarily.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
She paused again, selecting her words carefully. "It's about Gippal."  
  
Upon hearing her speak the name, Sasuno felt his smile fade away. He turned his head away from her.  
  
"That name...you've mentioned it before..." he muttered, more to himself than to her.  
  
Rikku took a step closer to him. "Huh? What did you say?"  
  
He looked up. "You mentioned him before, haven't you? Back on the other ship?" She nodded, pressing him to continue. "Are you...involved with him?" Sasuno finally asked, watching her facial features carefully.  
  
She was about to open her mouth to respond, but realized that she was hesitating. Was there something between her and Gippal? Rikku looked down at her boots. Despite everything that she had experienced with Gippal, from his kisses to all the moments she had spent with him when they were alone, there was a nagging feeling that was pulling at the edge of her heart, and she didn't know why.  
  
Rikku felt like slapping herself. Here it was again. That side of her that was pessimistic. And it was rearing its ugly head at the worst possible time.  
  
Of course Gippal meant something to her. She had felt it that night when he leaned down to kiss her, and she knew it when her heart had opened up to him. He had made her feel loved, loved in a different kind of way. It was not the love one received from family and friends, which Rikku had known and appreciated for so long. This was a feeling that made her heart soar. She knew that this was what she had been searching for her whole life, and Gippal had given her that and much more.  
  
He made her feel alive again, shedding light on her once confused heart and making her realize that life had another side to it. This was the reason why people always seemed to hold the hope of finding their own love one day. She finally understood it.  
  
Yes, Gippal was the one. She had found him at last.  
  
"Yes...we are," Rikku simply responded, raising her eyes to look up at Sasuno just as he met her gaze.  
  
He turned away from her suddenly right then, nodding once. "I see."  
  
Rikku said nothing, and decided not to say anything more.  
  
"This way, Rikku..." Sasuno spoke up again, changing the subject completely. He began to walk away from the hallway, heading towards the large middle floor and to the other side. Rikku was about to speak, but opted instead to follow Sasuno in silence.  
  
He continued to lead them through twisting hallways, making it difficult for Rikku to believe that the Al Bhed had built all this. She moved her eyes to Sasuno again, watching him carefully. It was strange to think that this same young man had acted roughly towards her in the beginning, yet now it seemed as if he was almost hesitant with this whole "kidnapping."  
  
Rikku smiled at the thought, a bubble of laughter escaping her lips.  
  
"What's so funny?" Sasuno asked. Rikku paused and looked up, realizing that he had stopped walking and was now regarding her with his dark chestnut eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her, awaiting a response.  
  
She laughed, continuing to walk past him. "Nothing, nothing. Just lead me to my room."  
  
Sasuno stood with his mouth slightly open, following the girl with his eyes before turning fully around to face her. She was standing a few feet ahead of him, a small smile on her face.  
  
"Well?" he prompted again, crossing his arms.  
  
"Well what?" Rikku countered. She wanted to play this one out, even if she knew that she was being irritating.  
  
Sasuno took a step towards her. "You were smiling back there."  
  
"And?"  
  
He took another step, turning to slowly circle her as he continued to speak. He rolled his eyes. "And I want to know why."  
  
Rikku put a finger to the side of her face, as if thinking deeply. "Well if you really wanna know, it was because I realized something," she finally replied, causing Sasuno to stop pacing around her for a moment.  
  
"What did you realize?" he asked hesitantly, almost dreading what her answer would be.  
  
Silence.  
  
"You really don't want to do this...do you?" she asked, avoiding Sasuno's gaze and trying to hide the smile that was forming at her lips.  
  
He froze, startled by her abrupt words. "Huh, what do you..."  
  
Rikku walked to him, putting her hands on her hips. "I knew it!" she exclaimed, her smile widening. He gaped at her, his expression helpless.  
  
"W-Wait, that's not true!" Sasuno protested, chasing after Rikku who had moved towards the center of the large room. His voice echoed throughout the hall.  
  
She spun around to face him, jabbing a finger into his chest. He stared down at her in shock.  
  
"Listen Sasuno, I know that deep down you're just a big softie...so let me go!" Rikku whispered, her voice lowering significantly. He continued to look at her, her green eyes sparkling as she awaited his response.  
  
'Damn, she's right...'  
  
"No, you're not right!" Sasuno replied, whispering as well. He reached out and placed a gloved hand on her shoulder, causing Rikku to pause and turn around to face him.  
  
"This whole thing...I have no choice but to do it for Serru..." Sasuno began, already regretting what had just come out of his mouth. But it was too late. The truth was bound to come out sooner or later. She was simply the catalyst that pushed it to occur.  
  
"What do you mean?" Rikku asked slowly. She felt that Sasuno still had a hand on her shoulder before he dropped it.  
  
He caught himself. "Forget it. It doesn't matter," he spoke softly. Rikku was about to press for him to continue, but his rich voice interrupted her. "Come with me now, Rikku. I'll take you to your room."  
  
=====  
  
"But Sir...there's no way we can search every city in Spira! That would take weeks...months even!"  
  
Gippal ran a hand through his hair in frustration, turning around to pace around the metal flooring of the control room. His boots echoed heavily in the still silence of the room. The men could only watch their leader helplessly.  
  
Another moment of silence hung in the air before Gippal stopped. They could see his hand clenching and unclenching against his side. Finally, they saw him turn around.  
  
"Take me to Cid."  
  
One of the men stood up, taking a hesitant step towards their leader. "He's in Luca right now, Sir, and—"  
  
"Then I guess we're going there then," Gippal interrupted, turning around to face the other man. "The sooner you move, the sooner I can tell Cid what happened to Rikku..." Gippal trailed off quietly, fear rising within him.  
  
=====  
  
"Geez, what does that jerk think he's doing with me here?!" Rikku demanded loudly, stomping into the room as Sasuno held the doors open for her. He could only look on in silence. "I hope he knows that I won't go quietly," she continued on, standing a few feet away from Sasuno.  
  
"So...what do you plan on doing?" Rikku heard him ask. His tone was even, yet his words were not. Rikku could sense that it seemed as if he even wanted to help her. But she knew that it could never happen.  
  
She paused, sitting down on the bed beneath her. The silk sheets were cold against her bare legs. "I'm gonna find a way to escape. That's what I'm gonna do!"  
  
He chuckled softly, moving into the room and shutting the door behind him. "Rikku, I know you have the determination, but there's guards all around this place. How do you plan on getting by that?" Sasuno asked, now standing at the foot of the bed.  
  
Rikku felt her spirit drop. "Ah, tysh. I forgot about that..."  
  
She looked up as Sasuno began to laugh again. "Wh-What's so funny?" she asked him in confusion, searching his brown eyes.  
  
Sasuno flopped down on the opposite side of the bed, leaning lazily against the pillows. "It's just that I never dreamed you of the type that would curse like that," he replied, continuing to chuckle quietly.  
  
She rolled her eyes at him, sitting so that her back was to him. "Well I wouldn't really be one to talk, Sasuno," Rikku responded smartly, raising an eyebrow at him. He stopped laughing.  
  
"And what do you mean by that?" he demanded, sitting up from the bed. It was her turn to smile at him.  
  
"You know you don't want to keep me here, right?" Rikku asked again, scooting closer to him, a sly smile on her face. Sasuno felt himself leaning away from her. He wondered why this girl was making him as nervous as he was.  
  
"I told you. It's my job. The only thing I can do for you is make this as painless as possible..." Sasuno simply replied, his eyes avoiding hers.  
  
"Oh, I see..." Rikku replied, her voice low. He looked up at her. She had her back to him once more. Searching his thoughts, he realized that he had nothing more that he could say to her. He shifted his body, preparing to stand up.  
  
"You should get some rest, Rikku," he spoke, walking towards the door. He could feel her eyes on his back. "I'll see you in the morning." And with that, he opened the door, walking out and shutting it behind him.  
  
Rikku stared at the heavy doors, arguing with herself on where she stood with Sasuno. Obviously it didn't seem as if he was enforcing this whole "kidnapping" situation at all. He had softened significantly since their encounter on Gippal's airship. She frowned. If it was that easy with him, then why wouldn't he help her escape?  
  
His words rang in her mind. Oh, right. He was doing it because it was job. She frowned. Or was there more to it than that?  
  
She flopped down on the soft bed, feeling her eyelids drifting shut. The silk sheets were just too soft beneath her tired body.  
  
"No, I can't sleep. What if something happens to...me...here..." Rikku spoke aloud, her words fading as sleep gradually took over.  
  
She had not even had the chance to check the lock on her door.  
  
=====  
  
"Rikku..."  
  
"come now, open your eyes..."  
  
"...open your eyes...and look at me..."  
  
A soft feeling against her arm caused her to stir, carrying her from the safety of her dreams to the dangerous situation of her reality. She cracked one eye open, seeing that it was still dark. Preparing to turn herself over and drift back to sleep, Rikku was vaguely aware of a nearby presence.  
  
"Ah, so you're finally awake...Rikku," a soft voice spoke. She froze, before immediately scrambling up into a sitting position.  
  
The first thing she saw was a man seated in a chair next to her bed. She could see his outline in the dim light. Even in the darkness, she could see his green eyes, burning into hers as a smile formed on his lips. A soft finger stroked her cheek and arm, making her realize that it was the same feeling that caused her to awaken.  
  
Serru.  
  
She didn't even need to see his face.  
  
She knew it was him.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" Rikku hissed in the dark, a voice that she didn't recognize as her own rising within her. Kicking away the blankets, she moved her body towards the other side of the bed before standing up completely so that the bed was the only thing that separated them.  
  
Serru stood, running a hand through his hair before climbing on top of the bed. Rikku's eyes widened, realizing that he was moving towards her quicker than she thought he would. He was suddenly very close to her and before she knew it, he had crossed over the bed and was now standing beside her.  
  
The fact that she could not see Serru's face frightened her the most, and his broad chest filled her vision as he towered over her. Chastising herself for being so careless and not moving away quickly enough, she began to turn away. But he was quicker.  
  
She had not even taken two steps away from him, that his arms came around her from behind, preventing any possibility of escaping.  
  
"Argh! Let go of me, you jerk!" Rikku exclaimed, wildly trying to free herself from his grasp. But he was too strong. His grip was like iron, and the more she struggled, the more it began to bruise her arms. She winced suddenly, the bruises from her earlier encounter with Sasuno on Gippal's airship still present.  
  
"My, my. You certainly are a strong-willed girl. I knew you were," Serru whispered, still grasping her tightly against him.  
  
"No! Stop it!" Rikku continued, tears threatening to fall. No. Not now. Tears wouldn't solve anything now. She had to fight him off. Lifting up her right leg, she swiftly wrapped it around one of Serru's legs, in hopes of taking him down. As long as he was caught off guard, she could try to escape. It was dark out, so maybe there weren't any guards. She had to take a risk.  
  
Serru looked at Rikku, feeling her leg snake around one of his. He was about to question her, when he suddenly lost his balance and footing, landing hard on the bed beside them as Rikku had taken them both down.  
  
The two fell down on the bed, Serru still holding her close to him as she ended up on his chest, her blonde hair spilling out around both of them. Rikku held her breath, the darkness in the room making her dizzy. She could feel Serru beneath her, his steady breathing countering her quick breaths.  
  
"So very nice of you to put us in this position...Rikku," Serru whispered in amusement, his lips mere centimeters below hers. His arms tightened its hold around her. She tried to keep her face turned away as she squeezed her eyes together in disgust.  
  
"Argh...you make me sick..." she could only respond helplessly. Instead of responding, Rikku's eyes shot open as he quickly flipped them over, so that he was on top. Fear raced throughout her as she saw Serru lean his face down, his figure still enshrouded in shadows. She had not once seen his face, and really didn't want to. The fact that her attacker was doing this to her in complete darkness was the most frightening part.  
  
He held both of her hands above her head, pinning them down with one of his arms. His knees pinned her legs down as well.  
  
Rikku felt a tear slide down her face. "Please...don't do this..." she whimpered in fear, hating herself for being in such a vulnerable position. Without a weapon, no spheres, no magic, she was helpless.  
  
Serru smirked down at her. She could see his white teeth flash briefly in the darkness.  
  
"No one is here to help you, my dear," he whispered.  
  
Her eyes widened and she struggled to break free, beginning to feel one of his hands snake up her thigh. She screamed.  
  
The door suddenly burst open, light flooding into the room almost immediately.  
  
"Get the hell off her, you bastard!" Rikku heard a man exclaim. That voice...  
  
"Sasuno, you're just in time," Serru spoke up, climbing away from Rikku and smoothing himself out before standing. Rikku could see Sasuno look past Serru and at her. His eyes softened when he saw that she was alright. He locked his gaze on Serru's again, his expression turning hard.  
  
Serru chuckled, pacing around the room. He flicked his hair back.  
  
"Haha, don't think you can stop me..." he began, turning his gaze to look at Sasuno.  
  
"...brother."  
  
======  
  
A/N: Wee! Hm, that took me longer to type than I expected. It took some time for me to describe the scenes carefully to make sure the readers could visualize what was happening well.  
  
Yeah, so evil, evil Serru! Oh, and I knew you would soften up to Sasuno. And to those who absolutely love Rikku (like I do ), my apologies for treating her badly in this chapter. ;; I had to do it for the sake of the plot, so I hope you understand. =)  
  
Pssst. Gippal is coming soon!  
  
See you in the next chapter, and thanks again for all the support. You guys rule. 


	13. Truth and Reconnaissance

A/N: Chapter 13, already. Wooo.   
  
Okay, before I begin, I would like to take this time to answer several questions that I've been asked, regarding the current situation/characters in the story so far.  
  
First of all, the question about Sasuno's eyes. Yes, they're chestnut/deep brown colored because he wears contacts. That's right. He has contacts on because he doesn't want to have green eyes like his brother, Serru, does. (I love Sasuno). You'll all find out the reason for everything later, and I'm actually surprised someone beat me to this question. I meant to explain it all in this chapter, but don't worry. I am still going to explain it here.   
  
Second, yes. Sasuno's name spells out the word, "Memory" in English. It is related to the name of the story, "Waiting Between Memories." =)  
  
Third, yes, Sasuno IS SINGLE. =p Hehe, just thought I'd emphasize that. There have been a lot more Sasuno fans than I thought there would.  
  
Fourth. Now this is a good question someone asked me. The reason why Rikku didn't just take the gun out and shoot Serru right then is because of several reasons. The first is that it would be too easy, and I don't plan on doing that for this particular story. . Secondly, I'm leaving Gippal with that job. =p Third, there is a more dramatic way I plan on describing the upcoming "battle scenes." And the main reason, one that I didn't plan on mentioning until Chapter 14, is that the gun wasn't loaded! Yup, that's right. It ain't loaded.  
  
Sasuno would have never taken a loaded gun with him. .  
  
Hehe, well at least you guys were quick to point out the little mysteries that were evident in my newest chapters. Darn, and I wanted to explain them without you guys asking. =p Still, thanks for all the support you've given me, and I'm glad you were able to recognize the plot holes that I planned on explaining later.  
  
=====  
  
{{ Chapter 13: Truth and Reconnaissance }}  
  
=====  
  
"You there! Stop at once!"  
  
"Don't look back, Yuna! Just keep running!" Paine exclaimed frantically, trailing right behind her.  
  
The two continued to sprint, footsteps pounding against the metal flooring of the underground dungeon. Behind them, Yuna could hear the frantic shouts of the guards as they chased after them both. Her breath came out in short gasps as she continued to lead the way. Nothing but the silver color from the surrounding walls blazed by her vision, and it seemed as if the hallway would never end.  
  
Gunshots suddenly pierced the air.  
  
"Damn!! They're firing!" Paine yelled, thrashing her body from side to side as she trailed at Yuna's heals, hoping against all odds to dodge the gunfire.  
  
Yuna continued to run, no longer able to hear Paine clearly. Her vision was fixed at a single point in the hallway, something catching her attention. Her lungs were beginning to burn from a lack of oxygen, her blood pumping wildly. She blinked before looking up once more. There it was again. A flash of yellow on the far right side of the hall...  
  
Paine picked up her speed, sprinting to catch up with Yuna. The air whipped the warrior's bangs wildly, as she turned to look at Yuna. Her friend stared straight ahead, the gunfire seeming to cease for the moment. She was about to open her mouth to exclaim that they needed to get out of the hall, when she suddenly saw Yuna's face light up.  
  
"Tidus! Isaaru!"  
  
Paine turned her attention from Yuna to look at the endless stretch of hallway. She began to feel lightheaded from the relief of seeing the other two men.  
  
"This way! Hurry!" Isaaru exclaimed wildly, as he and Tidus pressed themselves against the wall, anticipating the gunfire. Yuna dived into the opening of the hallway, landing hard on her shoulder. She scrambled up and watched Paine coming towards them as well.  
  
Paine felt her legs slowing down, but her mind pushed for her to continue. So close...  
  
"Paine!! Watch out!!" Yuna's voice shrieked from where the other men stood. She had reached the safety in the opening of the hall, yet her friend was...! Paine glanced behind her, seeing an Al Bhed soldier dart out from the left side of the hall and raising a gun. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the sickening sound of the gunfire echoed down the hall.  
  
It was all too familiar. The blast from the gun. Being shot from behind. The way time seemed to slow down in this single moment. Paine knew that she escaped being shot once. There was no way she would make it out of this one.  
  
She felt a single tear slide down her face and squeezed her eyes shut, still continuing to run blindly.  
  
"YUNA!! NO!!!" Tidus voice echoed.  
  
Paine's eyes shot open as the air was quickly knocked out of her. She landed hard on the cold metal ground, seeing Yuna sprawled on top of her. Her head spun as she tried to realize what had just happened. She groaned from the pain in her side. But they were safely in the hallway's side opening.  
  
Isaaru quickly shut the door behind them, hoping that the Al Bhed soldiers would simply run by the room they were in. The doors were all too similar, so they were safe for now.  
  
"Yuna!" Paine heard Tidus shout. She saw him appear, and quickly scrambled to where Yuna and Paine were, his blue eyes clouded with fear.  
  
They all froze suddenly, hearing footsteps approach the door. Tidus looked up, expecting the metal door to be thrown open, but the footsteps began to fade. Isaaru sighed in relief. The guards had passed them by. They still had a chance.  
  
"Argh...Paine...are you...alright?" Yuna began to ask quietly. She gingerly climbed off her friend, her face contorting with pain as she winced.  
  
"Yuna, you are bleeding!" Isaaru gasped, seeing the drops of blood from Yuna's left arm. He quickly moved from the door and knelt down to inspect it.  
  
Paine struggled to stand as well, reaching over to support her friend. She eyed Yuna's arm, relief washing over her. "It's alright. The bullet just grazed it but..." Paine fell silent as she saw the trail of blood on the floor. She gasped at the sight.  
  
"Yes...we must stop the bleeding," Isaaru spoke quickly, ripping off a piece of his robes and beginning to tie up Yuna's arm. "This cut is quite deep."  
  
Yuna whimpered as she tried to lift her arm. "I-I'll be fine...Don't worry too much about it..." she said gingerly, trying to keep her arm still.  
  
Tidus reached into his pocket and pulled out a Hi-Potion. "I hope this stops the pain for while, Yuna," he said gently, removing the bottle's cap and offering it to Yuna to drink. She smiled gratefully at him before turning to the rest of the group.  
  
"Th-Thank you, everyone..." she said, her eyes drifting over to Paine as her friend suddenly stood up. "How about you, Paine? Are you alright...?" Yuna asked.  
  
Paine had her back to them all, her mind unconsciously reliving what had just happened. The blast from the shotgun still echoed in her mind, and try as she might, the sound would not go away. She could still hear Tidus' pain-filled voice as he screamed Yuna's name. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned to face them once more.  
  
"Yuna, why...did you have to do that?!" Paine exclaimed suddenly, a voice she didn't recognize as her own coming out.  
  
Yuna stared at her friend in silence. She looked down at the ground as Tidus moved to support her arm in his. She turned her gaze up to look at Paine.  
  
"I wanted to save you, Paine. We're friends...I...only did what anyone would do..." Yuna replied in a choked whisper, her eyes growing shiny with tears.  
  
Paine stood for another moment, her ruby eyes growing misty. She turned away.  
  
"...Thank you, Yuna."  
  
=====  
  
"B-Brother...?!" Rikku gasped. Her eyes flew to Sasuno. He wasn't looking at her.  
  
"So the secret is finally out," Serru chuckled, taking a step towards the doorway where his brother stood frozen. Rikku watched as Sasuno held his ground, keeping his dark eyes on the other man. "Perfect timing by the way, Sasuno. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't arrived," Serru continued with a smirk.  
  
Sasuno said nothing, fighting his fist from swinging up. He turned his head away with his eyes shut.  
  
"I expect you to come up to see me later," Serru spoke again, already out the door.  
  
They could still hear his laughter down the hall as Sasuno shut the door quietly, refusing to look up. Rikku sat on the bed, too stunned to move. She knew that he was reluctant to speak because now the truth was finally out in the air. It was as if Rikku was in the room with a complete stranger – as if she was just meeting him for the first time. So Sasuno had been lying to her the entire time they had been together...?  
  
"I don't expect you to forgive me, Rikku," he finally spoke up, shattering their heavy silence. He seemed to know what she had been thinking. She raised her gaze in time to meet his. Rikku couldn't tell the difference in his expression. It seemed as if he was both angry and confused at the same time.  
  
She couldn't help but look down at the ground. There were a few things she was confused about as well. The two of them were brothers, yet what else was there behind that? She glanced up at him. He still had his eyes on her.  
  
"I think I want to know the truth now, Sasuno."  
  
He paused, then sighed, finally moving himself so that he was standing near where Rikku was. She sat up so that her legs dangled off the large bed. She saw him take a deep breath, pushing away strands of unruly hair away from his eyes. He seemed really tense about this.  
  
"Listen, you don't have to tell me right now if it's—"  
  
"No, you deserve to know the truth, Rikku," Sasuno interrupted gently. Rikku fell quiet, looking down at the bed. He began to speak again.  
  
"All of this began a long time ago...and—" he seemed to stall with his words.  
  
"And...what?" Rikku questioned, sensing his reluctance to continue. She leaned towards him, trying to look into his face. "What is it?"  
  
Sasuno turned to face her again. "When you mentioned the name Gippal, I knew it was the same one from a long time ago."  
  
Rikku stared at him in shock, letting the words sink in. Sasuno's voice rang in her ears. She tried to make sense of what he had just said.  
  
"Gippal...?" she uttered.  
  
=====  
  
"Damn it all!!!!" Cid's voice boomed. The young Al Bhed cowered noticeably, inching away from the older man as he slammed his fist on the table.  
  
"But sir...Gippal requests to see you immediately...! He says that it's urgent and..." the Al Bhed tried to explain, voice shaking as Cid suddenly stared hard at him.  
  
"Yeah?! Doesn't he know that my niece and her friends were just taken hostage?!! Well...?!" Cid demanded loudly, standing from the chair in a rush. The piece of furniture crashed to the ground, startling the young Al Bhed again.  
  
"I uh...Sir, that is, uh..."  
  
"Wait! I don't think Cid wants you to—" voices boomed from outside the door. Cid glanced up, a scowl on his face as he heard the muffled voices from outside the room.  
  
The door opened with a loud bang, and Cid immediately recognized Gippal, the leader of the Machine Faction. The older man had heard about their digs in the desert from Benzo, the little Al Bhed genius...or so he liked to proclaim.  
  
"What are you doing in here, boy?" Cid demanded gruffly, marching towards Gippal. He was expecting the young man to take a step back, but he didn't. Gippal's face was extremely serious. "What's the matter? Can't wait your turn, eh? Just what's so important that you had to come in here like this—"  
  
"Sir, it's about Rikku," Gippal interrupted quickly and without hesitance, not taking his eyes off the older man. Cid stopped in mid- sentence upon hearing his daughter's name.  
  
"What...about her...?" Cid asked hesitantly, crossing his arms. He watched as Gippal's gaze fell to the ground, as if ashamed to look the older man in the face. "You better start talking, boy," he demanded with a low voice.  
  
Gippal mentally slapped himself for losing his courage right then. Slowly, unwillingly, he forced himself to look Cid in the eye. There was no escaping the hole Gippal had jumped into.  
  
He found his voice faltering. "S-She was...kidnapped a few days ago and—" But he couldn't speak anything more. Cid's form had loomed dangerously close to his. Gippal turned his head away, anticipating the possible pain Cid was about to inflict on him. Gippal's muscles tightened, expecting Cid's blows to come to him, but they didn't. He opened his eye.  
  
The other man stared back at him, his old eyes empty, fear imminent, hazy with realization.  
  
"W-What happened...?" Cid could only utter in shock, the force of Gippal's words shaking his entire body, finally ending at his heart, the fear of what could have happened to his daughter welling up inside of him.  
  
"By the time I realized it, it was too late, Cid! I...the airship was just too far, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it!" Gippal found himself exclaiming. The words rushed out of him like a storm driven wild, and he couldn't stop himself. Images of Rikku's face flashed before his eyes, her cheerful voice ringing in his ears. Only this time it wasn't joyful. He felt his heart being torn apart at how he couldn't save her. Gippal squeezed his eye shut, turning away from Cid in shame.  
  
The older man's voice filled the room, his tone collected, despite the news he had just heard.  
  
"Macalania Forest. I want an airship taking me and the kid to there right now," Cid spoke up. His eyes scanned the room. Seeing that none of the other Al Bhed were moving, he spoke again. "Didn't you hear me?! I said move!"  
  
The men flinched at the volume of Cid's voice, and fled the room, mumbling a brief "Yessir."  
  
Gippal turned back to look at Cid. This time the older man had his back turned. He was about to say something, when Cid's voice interrupted him.  
  
"I already know where she might be, if that's what you're wondering, boy."  
  
"But...how?" Gippal whispered, too stunned to move.  
  
"Because it's all my fault, damn it!" Cid cried, spinning around to look at Gippal. His eyes were blazing. "If it weren't for me talking to that damn Serru kid, none of this would have happened!"  
  
Gippal stood, wobbly on his feet at what Cid had just said. His head spun, and it took every ounce of his strength to lower himself shakily on the nearby chair. He raised his good eye to Cid, feeling his fists clenching and unclenching.  
  
"W-What did you just say...?" Gippal asked quietly.  
  
"Yes, dammit. I promised Rikku to that Serru kid, before I realized my mistake. Now he's gone and kidnapped her! Ain't no other person who would do something like this!" Cid explained in a rush, already heading out the door.  
  
But Gippal was quicker. He had already left the office, his legs carrying him to the airship that would take him to Rikku.  
  
========  
  
"When Serru and I were young children, we lived in a small village with our family. It was on an island near the old Omega Ruins, and I loved it there..." Sasuno suddenly trailed off, his eyes filling with nostalgia. Rikku saw his smile fade after some time.  
  
She chose not to say anything, but listened as Sasuno began again.  
  
"I guess you could have called it a "lost village," since not many people knew about it. The people there were very kind, always trying to invent new ways to tweak machina this way and that." Sasuno suddenly laughed. "I remember that my father had figured out a way to make a machina go from one side of the village, through the river, past the rocky valleys, and to our doorstep...all to deliver an apple!"  
  
Rikku smiled at that.  
  
"Serru and I were the best of friends. Sometimes when strangers would meet us for the first time, they thought we were friends instead of brothers. But they knew we had to be brothers because of the way our eyes were."  
  
Rikku paused, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "Sasuno...your eyes. They're not green anymore, are they?" she asked him. He sighed.  
  
"No, they're not. I decided that I didn't want to look so similar to Serru. I didn't want anything to give away that we were brothers. I...was too ashamed after what happened between us."  
  
"I see..." Rikku whispered in understanding. Her heart was being torn apart as she listened to Sasuno's pain-filled voice.  
  
"Yes. We were happy once. But...all that changed. I still remember how warm that day was...the wind was just right – not too fast or too slow. Everyone was happy. The children were playing with a new machina my father had built, the elders sat under the shade and just watched fondly. It was...perfect. A perfect day..." Sasuno trailed off again. Rikku saw him face her. His brown eyes were clouded as he recalled the past. She turned away from him, unable to hold back her own tears at how much pain this was causing him.  
  
"I never spoke about it to anyone, but I knew that Serru was jealous of me. I knew it. And he knew I knew it," Sasuno continued on. "Little things gave it away, but I finally knew that Serru had sensed it as well. He would fight for Father's attention, and it pained me to watch it. One day when we were older he just came up to me and told me that he hated me. I...thought he was just joking around but...I knew the truth."  
  
"Sasuno...I..." Rikku began with a heavy heart. She didn't know what to say.  
  
"That day, I had just stepped into the village square, looking for my father. I was in a hurry because I had awakened too late, and my father had already left without me. You see, we were planning to go down to the beach that morning for a swim. He said that if I didn't wake up on time, then he would just go on without me. Of course my father had just said that as a way for me to get up early but...I was late anyway, and he was gone." Sasuno took a shaky breath. Rikku placed a hand on his in a supportive gesture.  
  
"I went through the village in the direction of the beach. I had just past by a boy around my age who was sitting on the side of the path leading up to the beach. He was crying..."  
  
Rikku froze. "Sasuno...that little boy...it was—"  
  
"Yes, Rikku. It was Gippal..." Sasuno replied in a strained voice.  
  
========  
  
"Are you okay...?"  
  
The boy looked up from his position on the ground, his cheeks glistening with tears. He clutched his knees tightly and sniffed.  
  
"I-I...someone over there needs help...!" the boy choked out in sobs, pointing up the pathway towards the beach.  
  
"Okay, I um...I'll go check, ok?"  
  
The boy stood up, wiping his face quickly. "What's your...name?" he asked quietly. The light caught the boy's two bright eyes, his tears quickly disappearing.  
  
"Oh, my name is Sasuno. What's your name?"  
  
The other boy fell silent for a moment. "Sasuno? Wow, that means 'Memory' in Al Bhed, doesn't it?" he asked shyly, strands of blonde hair falling in front of his eyes.  
  
Sasuno smiled at the boy. "Yup. It does."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Sasuno. My name is Gippal," the boy finally said with a soft smile.  
  
"Well Gippal, where's that person who needed help?" Sasuno asked, suddenly changing the subject. Gippal paused, his young features frowning. He seemed to grow sad again.  
  
"Um, Sasuno, about that, I..."  
  
"SASUNO!!!" a voice called from above the path. Sasuno's gaze flew up to a person standing at the end of the pathway.  
  
"Who's that?" Gippal asked, shielding his eyes from the early sunlight.  
  
"That's my brother..." Sasuno replied slowly, worriedly, watching as Serru made his way over to him. Sasuno was about to greet his brother, when he saw Serru's tear-stained face.  
  
"What's...wrong...?" Sasuno asked, fearing rising within him. He watched as Serru fell down on his knees, wailing as he clutched Sasuno in pain.  
  
Sasuno's eyes landed on Gippal right then, and the other boy's earlier words rang in his ears.  
  
'...Someone over there needs help...'  
  
The world seemed to spin beneath his feet.  
  
No.  
  
Not his father.  
  
It...couldn't be...!  
  
Sasuno looked down at Serru's puffy face, before sprinting up the path blindly, tears flowing from his own eyes. He barely heard his brother calling out his name.  
  
======  
  
A/N: I'm so sad. ;; I've already started Chapter 14, since things just go from one event to the next from this moment on, so no need to worry about a late update.   
  
Expect it soon.  
  
These upcoming events are about to be my favorite parts in the whole story. sniff 


	14. Until Now

A/N: Hm, I don't have much to say on this one, except enjoy this next chapter. =) Once again, I had a lot of fun while I wrote this one, since it's just one of those chapters where I'm actually more "involved" than I usually am. =p Heh, but that's not to say that I'm not normally involved while writing the other chapters. It's just that there were times when the scenes here were even too intense for ME to handle.  
  
And I'm the author. Haha. =p  
  
Anyway, my endless thanks to everyone that has been with me on this long journey. I started this back at the end of January, so it's been quite some time. I know how difficult it is to wait forever for updates, so I tried to make sure these chapters got out in decent time. =p  
  
And I did this while going to school and studying, taking exams, etc. Not to mention trying to balance my normal life, as well. But since I'm on vacation now, I had the chance to do a bit more research on FFX-2 once more, and having that 100% file really helped. I was able to go through the cities once again, study the environments, and the characters' behaviors. Since my other fic didn't have an emphasis on Rikku/Gippal, I had to look much closely at Gippal here. From his personality to his appearance. But of course FFX-2 didn't talk too much about him like they should have, but who am I to complain?  
  
I'm just glad they made a character as great as Gippal in the first place.   
  
=====  
  
{{ Chapter 14: Until Now }}  
  
=====  
  
Gippal stood in the far corner of the airship. He leaned back against the wall, the coldness of the metal penetrating through his clothing. Somehow the cool feeling seemed to calm his nerves. He paused to look up at an Al Bhed who nodded at him once before proceeding down the hall.  
  
He looked around him. Why was he here again?  
  
Oh, yes. Because he didn't want to show his face to Cid, that's why. The older man hadn't said a word to Gippal since they left Luca, and Gippal had said nothing to him as well. A barrier separated the two men, neither not quite knowing what to say nor who to blame.  
  
Pushing himself off the wall, he found himself pacing in the hallway. The silence of the room allowed him to hear himself, in hopes of sorting out what was really bothering him.  
  
Every time Cid's voice echoed in his mind, Gippal saw Rikku. He could visualize her smiling face, hear her carefree laughter, feel her warmth. He realized that these last few days without her near him had been painful. He was endlessly falling into a deep void, and he had jumped into it the day that Rikku was taken.  
  
After leaving his island at a young age, mastering all there was to know about machina became his top priority. He joined the Crimson Squad when he was in his mid-teens, and Gippal found that moment in his life brighter; joyful somehow. He had met Nooj, Baralai, and Paine, and the four of them grew close to one another, unlike anything Gippal had known before. They would share stories late at night, complain early in the morning, and joke until sunset. Those had indeed been good times. It was also the first time Gippal had befriended someone other than a male, and Paine had been a great friend.  
  
Loneliness. Among Gippal's first memories had been those of emptiness, a simple longing to have someone care for him and keep him company. When his mother had died, life seemed to pass him by slowly, as if he was the only one being left behind as everyone else reached their dreams. But these last few days...Rikku had made him realize that there was more in life that lingering in past memories.  
  
Gippal stopped to reach into his pocket, his fingers feeling the soft feathers of the object before pulling it out completely. Rikku's earring glinted up at him.  
  
And yet somehow she was different. Every time Rikku was near him, Gippal felt a thrill, as if her presence alone could take his hand and lift him, soaring to a paradise he had never known until now. He knew it was a different feeling from when he and Paine had been on the Crimson Squad together. He knew now that the feeling with Paine had been one of simple friendship, a gentle kind of caring.  
  
But Rikku. She held the doors open for him. Gippal knew that somehow she had always been holding them open, yet he had just never noticed it. But he was now ready to step through.  
  
"Kid...are you alright...?"  
  
Gippal stopped pacing and turned around to the voice. Cid stood before him, concern written on the older man's face.  
  
"I uh...yeah. I'm alright," Gippal replied. But he knew he was lying. Cid studied his face for a moment before Gippal turned away.  
  
"We're about an hour away from Macalania. Just thought I'd let you know..." Cid announced, turning around to leave again. He didn't seem to notice Gippal's removed expression after that.  
  
"Thanks," Gippal answered after some time, his tone even. He turned back around to look out the window. It was almost sunset.  
  
"Listen..." Cid's voice began again. Gippal shut his eye, knowing that the older man had more to say to him. He didn't turn around to face Cid. "This whole thing with Serru. I uh...he told me that you and uh...Rikku had been spending some time together and—"  
  
"Then why did you encourage him, Cid?" Gippal interrupted quietly, still facing the window. He had one hand against the windowsill, the sunlight casting rays of orange and yellow on his face.  
  
"I had no idea that Rikku was seeing you, kid. Really I didn't. If I knew, then I wouldn't have even said a thing to that Serru kid!" Cid responded, seriousness hanging on all his words.  
  
Gippal fell quiet for a moment, absorbing what Cid had just said. This was the first time he had the chance to speak formally with Cid, rather than just hearing about the man. Cid had been his superior in the past when Gippal was younger, and here they were now. He almost chuckled aloud. He would have never expected having a conversation like this with Cid. But Gippal had to admit it to himself. The man wasn't as bad as some of the other Al Bhed claimed.  
  
"I even got a little angry when Serru finally mentioned you and Rikku, but dammit, I'm her father. I deserve that right!" Cid continued on, his voice rising only slightly. It was this moment that Gippal finally decided to face him.  
  
"And what have you decided now...Cid?" Gippal asked hesitantly, quietly, almost regretting that he had even asked.  
  
Cid turned around, his hand already placed on the doorknob that led out into the other room. He cleared his throat before Gippal heard him sigh, the minutes seeming to pass by slowly.  
  
"If she cares about you, then who am I to interfere," Cid simply said, pulling the door open. "Just promise me you'll rescue her once we get there." And with that, he left the room, shutting the door quietly.  
  
Gippal stood in a daze, Cid's words not quite sinking in. But what surprised him the most about the older man's words was the way he said them. There was no sense of resentment at all, and it was difficult for him to accept the fact that Cid had actually said them. He stopped.  
  
Yes. Gippal had indeed heard Cid right.  
  
He found himself smiling, relief and gratefulness washing over him.  
  
But he shook his head, realizing that there was something more important he had to do first.  
  
Rikku. He needed to save her quickly, and that time was fast approaching.  
  
Swiftly walking towards the door, he followed after Cid, anticipating what their next move would be.  
  
=====  
  
"I raced up towards the beach, and my tears just wouldn't stop coming out..." Sasuno continued to explain, his voice breaking with emotion. Rikku felt her own eyes watering, desperately trying to force herself to continue listening.  
  
"There was a fire, Rikku...! I ran and ran but the hut was...it was too late for me to help." Sasuno hastily wiped his eyes. "My heart was pounding so hard because I knew who was inside, dammit! When I heard my father's strangled cries coming from inside that hut, it was too late. All I remember after that was waking up, Serru telling me that I had passed out..." Sasuno continued to explain, tears leaking out of his eyes.  
  
Rikku stifled a sob of her own, as she grasped Sasuno's hand comfortingly. He looked up at her, eyes glistening.  
  
"Serru told me that the door got stuck sometime when my father had fallen asleep in the hut. He had been planning on surprising me by waiting in there, but then the place had suddenly went up in flames. The elders said it was caused by the sun and the grass that was used to make that hut," Sasuno continued on, his voice still filled with emotion. He suddenly met Rikku's eyes seriously. "The reason why Serru hates Gippal is because he continues to believe to this day that Gippal could have done something to save our father..." Sasuno spoke slowly, shutting his eyes in pain.  
  
"But...you...were all just children back then!" Rikku heard herself exclaim, hating Serru even more.  
  
Sasuno shook his head and looked down. "And I continue to follow my brother's orders because deep down I know that Serru's right. If I hadn't stopped to talk with Gippal outside the beach, then maybe...just maybe have saved a few minutes and figured out how to get my father out of there..."  
  
Rikku felt another tear slide down her cheek. "But...Sasuno...you didn't know...none of you knew...!"  
  
"Rikku, do you know who started that fire in Kilika? Do you know who started the one in Zanarkand?!" Sasuno suddenly interrupted, his voice rising, eyes blazing in anger.  
  
She froze, the heat from the Kilika fire returning to her mind. Sasuno grabbed her hand and she gasped as he looked down at her, his voice filled with pain.  
  
"Yes Rikku. It was me. I started them."  
  
Her heart stopped. "N-No..." she uttered weakly, tearing her eyes away from his.  
  
Sasuno looked over at her desperately, already anticipating what she was going to say next. "Rikku...you have to understand...I...it was all Serru's doing! I've been guilty under him for so long, and just so he wouldn't bring up the past, I did it! Alright?! I did it!" he exclaimed in rage, standing from the bed.  
  
Rikku stared after him, feeling her eyes watering again. "I..." she began, trying desperately to figure out what she wanted to say. She didn't know whether to be angry or whether to pity him. Her eyes flickered up and this time he was looking at her. "Sasuno, listen to me..." Rikku began again, her voice softening.  
  
He simply stood still, saying nothing, but his eyes let her know that he was indeed listening.  
  
She stood up. "I...don't blame you, Sasuno. But I...do have one question. Why? Why did Serru want to burn Kilika and Zanarkand?"  
  
He paused, seeming to collect his thoughts. "To have his revenge on Gippal."  
  
Rikku stood in shock, the truth finally coming out. But it made sense...  
  
"Serru knew that you and Gippal were heading towards the village that afternoon, and he knew that you wouldn't leave those villagers trapped there. He hoped you wouldn't make it out either...but he was wrong," Sasuno began to explain, his words dripping with venom at his last words.  
  
"Then...what about Zanarkand? Gippal was never over there..." Rikku whispered in disbelief. She felt herself backing up to sit down on the bed again. She could barely stand as she listened to Sasuno's words.  
  
"My brother has a lot of hate in his heart, Rikku. He ordered me to set the fire at Zanarkand simply because it was Zanarkand. He said that there was no need to keep it standing since he didn't believe in Yevon anyway. After our father died, his hate towards Yevon increased, knowing that there was no god that saved Father..." Sasuno looked down. "This is why I've been so ashamed of him for all these years."  
  
Rikku felt her blood boiling, realizing that Yuna and Paine's lives had been in danger because of Serru's hatred towards Yevon. Not to mention Tidus and Isaaru as well. Not only that, but the ironic part of it all was Rikku herself would have been dead along with those villagers if Gippal had not invited her out into the temple that day. Everything was connected...but why like this? Everyone she cared about had suffered because of Serru. She suddenly remembered something Gippal had mentioned to her.  
  
"Sasuno, about Guadosalam... One of Gippal's men said they found a sphere near the site of the fire in Kilika, saying it had Guadosalam's insignia on it. It turns out there was a barrier surrounding Guadosalam, and Gippal refused to break through, even when the men suggested it," Rikku explained. Sasuno listened quietly, his face frowning in understanding.  
  
"Oh, I see now..." he replied in a whisper, the pieces falling into place for him. She searched his face for any answers.  
  
"Rikku, do you remember what I said about meeting Gippal on our island when we were children?" She nodded. "When he decided to leave, it was a few months later that I heard from him again. I received one last message from Gippal saying that he was in Guadosalam living with a woman who knew his mother. Apparently the woman helped him for a while before she passed away."  
  
Rikku gasped quietly at the story. "So that's why he didn't want to go near Guadosalam..."  
  
"Yes, now it's all making sense to me as well. Before, I was just blindly taking orders, but now I see why Serru made me plant that sphere with the Guado mark. Because he knew that Gippal wouldn't harm the city at all." Sasuno began to pace around the room. "My brother thought Gippal would just shrug off the fire at Kilika and forget about the whole thing if he saw that the Guado were involved. He did this after realizing that you and Gippal hadn't died in the fire. It was all planned.... Damn...if only I could have realized how wrong I was in listening to Serru..." Sasuno spoke, trying to bite back his anger.  
  
"There's still something I'm confused about..." Rikku said quietly, making her way to the window. She gazed out towards the sky, white snowflakes falling delicately onto the ground below. "Why didn't Gippal recognize that the Serru who joined his team was the same Serru from his childhood?" she asked softly.  
  
Sasuno sighed, his expression distant. "I don't know, Rikku. Perhaps Gippal simply forgot. Or maybe he forced himself to forget what happened back then..."  
  
Rikku nodded absently, still staring out into the endless white. "I guess..."  
  
"I knew Gippal felt responsible about what happened to my father. That's why he was crying on that pathway all those years ago..."  
  
=====  
  
Serru stood by the large window, watching the snowflakes falling quietly. Even under the light of the room, his reflection stared back at him from the glass. He found himself looking back at it, hardly believing that it was him. This was the first time he had the chance to look at himself closely, and for some reason he felt anger welling up inside.  
  
He grunted in disgust, tearing his eyes away from his reflection. Walking over to the desk, he pulled open the drawer, already knowing what he was going to take out.  
  
The smooth wood greeted his fingertips as he took out a picture, one that was taken of him, Sasuno, and their father back at the old village. Their father stood proudly in the middle of the picture, Serru on the right and Sasuno on the left. A machina had been dancing in front of them as the photographer snapped the portrait. Serru and Sasuno were both laughing as their father tried desperately go get the two boys to look at the camera. Their father had a big smile on his face. The result was this portrait.  
  
Serru felt his hand shaking as he gazed at himself and his family.  
  
Happy.  
  
He was actually happy in this picture.  
  
Setting it carefully back into the drawer, Serru stood again, going back to look out the window.  
  
In the reflection, a single tear slid down his cheek.  
  
=====  
  
Rikku spotted a box of tissue sitting neglected on the nightstand. Through all her tears, she never noticed it until now. Standing up from the bed, she walked over and took out a few tissues.  
  
"Comes in handy, doesn't it?" Sasuno spoke up from his position on the other side of the room. He glanced up momentarily at her before averting his gaze back to look out the window. It was still snowing outside.  
  
"Yeah...it's too bad I didn't notice them before..." she replied in a soft murmur, dabbing her eyes gently. Her gaze drifted slowly over to Sasuno. He had his back to her, his broad soldiers filling his dark jacket as he stood by the window. She could see the profile of his face, spiky strands of hair sticking this way and that. He turned around as he heard her approach.  
  
"Thanks..." he whispered, taking the tissue that she handed to him. Rikku continued to stare at Sasuno, his story still fresh in her mind. She didn't notice that he had turned around again and was staring at her as well.  
  
"...What is it...?" Sasuno asked gently, his fingers briefly brushing the side of her face so she could look at him again. Rikku felt her body tense at his touch, realizing that it was all too familiar. She felt her face beginning to warm up. Cursing herself for acting like this, she forced herself to meet his gaze.  
  
"I uh...that is...Sasuno, I don't think I had the opportunity to tell you that I—" Rikku began.  
  
"...That you what, Rikku...?" he interrupted gently, his gaze fully on her. Rikku found herself losing her words momentarily as he continued to await her answer, his eyes never wavering.  
  
She sighed, turning around from him. Somehow she couldn't speak clearly under his intense eyes. But Rikku knew that this was something she needed to tell him. She knew that he had to hear it with his own ears. That way, maybe he could let go of his own demons. And even despite everything, Rikku knew that he had suffered as much as she had. Perhaps even more so...  
  
"Sasuno...I...I...forgive you," she whispered, finally turning to look him wholly in the face. He seemed to be taken aback at her words, his eyes sparkling under the dim light from the room. Her eyes searched his for a moment longer. He blinked, trying to fight off the feelings welling up inside of him.  
  
"Rikku, I..." he began, taking a step towards her. She smiled softly in understanding, realizing that what she said was what he had needed for so long. Rikku opened her mouth, about to speak again, when she saw Sasuno take another step towards her. Her breath caught as he took her into his arms, her body being surrounded by his warmth. She raised her arms around him as well, hearing him whisper one last time.  
  
"Thank you, Rikku."  
  
========  
  
Yuna continued to stare at her friend. Paine remained a good feet ahead of the group as she led the way in silence. The ex-summoner sighed.  
  
Moments after Isaaru had announced that the hallway had cleared up completely, Tidus had helped Yuna stand, and they all managed to escape the site. Much to Yuna's relief, they were lucky enough to avoid all the lights, and walked within the concealed, dark paths.  
  
"I wonder where all the guards went..." Tidus had commented when they finally reached the forest. The moon shone brightly above them, providing ample light as the group walked on in silence.  
  
Paine had simply mumbled that they must have given up. It was the first comment the warrior had said since they were all in the small room, and Yuna had to admit that she was relieved. But...something in her friend's tone was not quite right. She knew there was still something that was bothering Paine.  
  
Yuna decided not to say anything. In all the time Paine had been with them, she knew that the warrior would only speak when she was ready. It was futile to force it out of her.  
  
"Where...are we?" Tidus' voice whispered. He stopped short behind Paine, taking the opportunity to gaze at their surroundings. Yuna looked at Isaaru, who was also looking around them.  
  
"It seems that we are in the Macalania Woods..." Isaaru declared quietly, bending down to inspect the ground.  
  
Paine stood with a hand to her chin thoughtfully, frowning. "But wait. Why do these woods look like this...? This isn't the Macalania Forest I remember."  
  
"Yes, you are correct, Paine. These are the woods in their last stage of life..." Isaaru answered. He stood up from his position on the ground and approached the group again. "Shall we continue on? Surely there is an Inn near us..."  
  
Tidus stepped forward, nodding to the group. He looked towards Paine, who began walking up the path once more. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's go," he agreed, reaching down to support Yuna as they continued on.  
  
======  
  
Her eyebrows knit together as she twisted around beneath the thin sheets. A few strands of blonde hair fell in front of her eyes. Light beads of sweat fell from her forehead, the dream feeling too intense for her.  
  
======  
  
She was standing outside a small hut; everything was hazy. There was no golden sun, no deep cerulean sky. Instead, a fire blazed wildly in front of her. She could feel the heat from the hut biting at her skin, eager to make its mark on her. The flames danced wildly before her very eyes, swallowing the vulnerable grass that held the small building together.  
  
A little boy stood directly in front of the hut, wearing nothing but black shorts and a white shirt. He was looking silently at it as the fire raged on. Her eyes were locked on the inferno as well, before she saw a flash of movement. She turned, seeing the roof leaning slightly to one side. In a sickening crack, her eyes made out the unmistakable image of the roof about to collapse; about to crush the little boy underneath.  
  
Her mind screamed at her body to move, to run and shove the little boy out of the way. But her limbs would not. She tried opening her mouth, desperately urging her voice to make a sound, to scream at the child to move out of the way. Still, nothing was coming out.  
  
The roof began to fall, as if moving in slow motion, flames engulfing the entire structure. A rush of energy seemed to resonate from her body, and she could feel as if her limbs could move again, as if her voice had come back. She dashed wildly towards the child, feeling the intense heat of the flame.  
  
The little boy suddenly turned around to face her, and she froze in mid- step. The fire continued to burn all around them. His green eyes sparkled as he gazed at her, his expression tranquil. Suddenly, she saw everything begin to grow hazy again.  
  
He smiled at her warmly then, his youthful face the last thing she saw.  
  
======  
  
Rikku sat up from the bed in a rush, the dream feeling much too real. She gasped in short breaths, raising a hand to wipe the perspiration from her forehead. Putting a hand to her chest, she tried to calm her breathing.  
  
The dream. The little boy. It had been Gippal in her dream. She knew it.  
  
Sighing again, Rikku began to feel her heartbeat returning to normal. A nightmare. It was only natural for her to have a dream like this. Sasuno's story earlier that night had been too much to handle...too tragic to—  
  
"Rikku..." a masculine voice whispered.  
  
She froze in the bed, feeling her pulse quicken again. The bedroom was pitch black, she could see nothing at all. No light flooded in from the open window. Not making a sound, she listened carefully, hearing the movement of the person's clothing as he approached her. She sat motionless, too frightened to move.  
  
"Rikku...are you...alright?" the voice whispered again, a bit louder this time. She could sense his presence very close to her, and she knew that he was right next to her bedside. She felt herself take a sharp intake of breath, and before she could even curse herself for doing so, a hand slid up her bare arm.  
  
Rikku jerked away violently, prepared to put up a fight with this person. A million thoughts raced through her mind. Who was it? The only two men in the building were Serru and Sasuno. She froze again. Serru had done this before.  
  
The man had his hand at the side of her face now, dancing briefly to glide through her hair. Her breath caught in her chest as she felt his other hand move around her waist and drew her closer to him. She could feel her hand rising in an attempt to slap the man, but paused when he suddenly leaned in close to her ear.  
  
"Say something..." he whispered softly. Rikku was frozen in his grasp, as they both sat in the darkness. She could not see anything at all. She could only hear his voice, feel his touch. "You're warm..." he whispered again, holding her a little tighter this time.  
  
A faint scent drifted by her nose, causing her to sniff the air again. It was familiar... Her eyes suddenly lit up.  
  
"G-Gippal...?" Rikku whispered in the darkness, relief washing over her. Her hand went up to his hair, never feeling more relieved than she was now. She felt herself sinking into his arms as he held her, feeling him sigh in happiness.  
  
He suddenly shifted, leaning in to pull her in a hug. "It's so good to hold you like this again..." he whispered quietly, stroking her hair. "It's been hard without you, Rikku."  
  
She pulled away slowly, cursing the room for being as dark as it was at the moment. She wanted to see his face, to see him smile again. But him being here was enough. "I-I've missed you too." Rikku closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of being in his arms again. He held her tightly, his arms supporting both of them as they sat in the darkness.  
  
A million questions raced through her mind, and she desperately wanted to ask them all at once. But she couldn't do it like this. She moved towards the edge of the bed.  
  
"Where...are you going?" Gippal asked her in a whisper, grasping her hand gently.  
  
"I know it's here somewhere..." Rikku responded quietly, feeling the walls. Her hands slid up and to the right a bit and she found it.  
  
Click.  
  
A dim light filled the room and her eyes drifted over to Gippal. She took in his features greedily, never feeling so happy to see him again. His eyes rested on her for a few minutes as well, still holding her hand. They said nothing for a long time, until he slowly stood up and walked to her.  
  
Rikku looked up at him, her heart racing. He raised a gloved hand to her face and trailed his fingers down, landing under her chin. He smiled as her cheeks turned slightly pink under his touch, and she smiled up at him as well. Gippal felt his eyes drifting shut as he leaned down, his lips finally finding her's. Rikku felt her heart soaring under his touch, and she never felt more alive. Raising a shaking hand up to his hair, she joined his lips in the dance.  
  
A door shut with a soft click.  
  
Rikku suddenly pulled away from Gippal in shock, her eyes moving around his body and to the door directly in front of the bed. She gasped in shock.  
  
"S-Sasuno...?!"  
  
Gippal instantly pulled out a gun, moving Rikku protectively behind him as he pointed it at the man. "Who are you?" he demanded.  
  
Sasuno shook his head once, blinking as he took in the scene before him. His dark eyes moved past the blonde man and settled on Rikku. She stared back at him with startled green eyes. Turning swiftly away, he made his way to the door again, before stopping, realizing that he still had something he needed to say.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rikku. I never should have come in like this, but..." Sasuno paused, his eyes settling on Gippal. He bit back his anger.  
  
Rikku stepped forward, putting a hand to Gippal's arm as she lowered the gun. Gippal watched her in confusion.  
  
"Sasuno...I um...please. Come in," Rikku begged him, stepping forward again.  
  
Gippal looked back and forth between Rikku and Sasuno, trying to figure out who the other man was. He moved to put an arm around her. Startled, she paused in mid-step as Gippal pulled her closer to him. Sasuno felt his blood boil at the sight, trying to control his feelings.  
  
"Rikku...who is he?" Gippal asked, his voice teetering on the edge of jealousy. He held her tightly around the waist, a hand on the end of his gun.  
  
Rikku felt her cheeks flaming, and she turned away from Sasuno, feeling Gippal's grasp around her.  
  
"He's...Serru's brother," she said hesitantly.  
  
Gippal's eyes narrowed at the other man. "Are you the one who kidnapped her?" he asked.  
  
Sasuno nodded once, his eyes on Rikku. He feared what Gippal would say, but to his surprise, the other Al Bhed didn't seem as angry as he expected. "Gippal...you don't remember me...do you?" Sasuno suddenly asked, his gaze drifting from Rikku to him.  
  
Gippal paused, studying him closely. Somehow the name sounded familiar, but he didn't quite know how or where he had heard it before.  
  
"Yes, Gippal. It's me. The one you met on that pathway all those years ago," Sasuno spoke evenly, moving towards them. He stopped within a few feet and offered a reassuring smile.  
  
Gippal felt something spark within. All at once, he felt himself spiraling into a wave of emotions; memories returning from somewhere he didn't know existed within. Rikku looked up at Gippal's face in worry, and as his mind collected itself once more, he suddenly remembered something.  
  
Intense fire, screams, tears, and a face. A face...  
  
Gippal looked up at the other man.  
  
Sasuno.  
  
"Yeah...I...remember now," Gippal whispered in disbelief, realizing that this man was once his friend. But how could he have forgotten something like this? His gaze fell downward. Gippal chose not to say anything more, eyeing the man suspiciously and holding Rikku tighter towards him.  
  
"Good. Well in that case...shall we get ready then?" Sasuno suddenly spoke up, seeming to forget the conversation completely. He smiled, nodding once at Rikku and Gippal. He fought back his emotions and turned swiftly to a cabinet in the room, taking out a key from his pocket and scraping it into the lock.  
  
Rikku watched with stunned eyes as Sasuno calmly reached into the closet and pulled out two small guns and a large shotgun. He turned to the two and smiled, gesturing to the weapons lying on the floor.  
  
"Your escape begins tonight."  
  
==========  
  
A/N: Chapter 15 coming soon.  
  
Ah, it gets good from here! 


	15. Desperation

A/N: To the readers who have asked me questions about the story, I hope my subtle answers have helped feed your curiosity for the time being. That said, I'd also like to stress the importance of how I like to keep quiet about the plot until the next chapter. Usually there are elements in a newer chapter that is furthered in the next one. I anticipate that there will be questions when instances like this occur, so the best I can do is update the story as quickly as possible. =)

=_To MYSTIC BLUE_=

Again, I'd like to thank you for the constructive criticism you've provided me with. I know we've discussed it in an email, and I actually believe we've become friends through it. =p My thanks that we've gotten along like we have so far. =)

==

As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story. Your comments are always valuable to me.

=====

{{ Chapter 15: Desperation}}

=====

Serru slowly sat down in the familiar leather chair, letting out a long sigh. It had served him well throughout the years, the once-stiff leather worn in, softer to the touch. Earlier, he had been pacing around the room endlessly, his mind unconsciously going over the images of his past.

He groaned to himself this time, leaning back in the chair and shutting his eyes. He had not left the room in hours, and no sound came from Sasuno or Rikku's room either. Presently, he could not bring himself to clear his mind. Turning his body so that his feet could rest on the table, Serru sighed again. After a moment of steady breathing, he opened his eyes, finally noticing the eerie silence and the sense of loneliness his room held.

A helpless chuckle escaped his lips as he stood, moving towards the window once more. He had built the extension behind the temple on an impulse, hoping that he could escape the seemingly chaotic outside world of Spira. His childhood, or lack thereof, had somehow stolen from him what he knew he could have had. Deep down, he had assumed that using this secluded home could somehow bring that all back to him, to give him what the outside world had not. Seeing the photograph of him and his family was almost painful, a tragic reminder of what could have been.

And his misery was imminent throughout everything he had ever accomplished. The satisfaction of finally tracking down Gippal again was soon extinguished by the bitter realization that he didn't know what he could achieve out of it.

Vengeance? There was a time when Serru had used this as the answer for everything. Yet there was something more that he wanted. An intangible sentiment that he knew had never been said to him.

"I love you, son."

=====

"I want to know why you've decided to help me, here...now."

He hesitated as he heard her approach him, moving his body further into the closet in hopes of averting her gaze.

Rikku stopped a few feet behind Sasuno's hunched form.

"We don't have much time, Rikku. Soon it'll be morning and we'll lose this chance to get you out of here..." he trailed off, pausing to stand to face them both.

They stood silent for a moment. Gippal raised his gaze from the ground to look up at Sasuno.

"I was a fool to listen to Serru," he finally began again, slowly this time, looking away in spite of himself. "I guess I somehow thought that by listening to him, it would make me feel less guilty for what happened that day. But...my brother only grew more bitter. He forgot about me and the time we had together. The only thing he cared about was revenge."

Gippal sat listening, the memories he had worked so hard to forget slowly returning. When he had left the island, he made a promise to himself to simply forget about what happened that day, and look to nothing else except the future. Apparently it had worked, since he never recognized Serru when the other Al Bhed had joined Gippal's faction years later.

Deep down, a part of him was actually glad that he was able to push the memory out of his mind. As Gippal listened to Sasuno's confession, he realized how difficult it must have been for him, to constantly live with the blame that Serru placed on him.

As a young boy, he knew that his emotions were able to control him like a slave to a master. Yet, somehow all of that had made him stronger. He realized that life would continue on whether he was ready to go along with it or not. It was about acceptance, and no matter how painful it may have been, he knew that nothing would change if he continued to linger in that single moment.

Gippal looked up at Sasuno once more, seeing the sense of emptiness in the other man's face. He had failed to forget like Gippal had done, and it still continued to haunt him.

"Sasuno..." Gippal started, sympathy filling his heart. He saw him look up. "I...I'm sorry..."

He smiled gently, shaking his head. "For what, Gippal?"

"How I forgot everything that happened while you continued to live on with the guilt..."

Sasuno didn't reply for a moment, Gippal's words cutting through him like a dagger. He suddenly smiled. "Thank you, Gippal. I should have accepted it earlier, but...no one is to blame. I wish I had realized that sooner..." he grew silent.

Rikku stood motionless, simply listening to the conversation between the two men. She had never dreamed that Gippal had a history as startling as this, and her heart also ached when she thought of how many years Sasuno must have suffered.

"Let's go, you two. The past is done, and what's important is now," Sasuno spoke up, his voice steady. He was whispering quietly to the two as Rikku's eyes followed his form. They watched as he pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket and began folding it out on the nearby table. He motioned for them to come.

Gippal studied Sasuno's face for an extra moment before nodding finally, glad to see that Sasuno's spirits had seemed to lift.

"What is that, Sasuno?" Rikku asked, standing beside Gippal.

"This is a map of the temple," he began. "We're currently in this room right now," Sasuno pointed.

"Damn, it was easy for me to take out those guards and sneak through the temple until I got here, but reinforcements are bound to show up once they find the men unconscious down there..." Gippal whispered hesitantly, leaning forward to study the map. "Hey Sasuno, what's this path here?"

"Hm? Ah, we could use that to escape..." Sasuno answered quietly, more to himself than to them. His eyes quickly scanned the map, nodding all the while.

"How?" Rikku asked. She was growing restless and her eyes kept flickering up to look at the door, waiting for Serru's guards to come in at any moment.

"This path begins in the dungeon on floor level B1. From there, it leads out of the temple away from the eye of the communication room," Sasuno explained. He seemed to pause before picking up again. "Now that you mention it, this is our safest option."

Gippal studied the map for another moment longer before nodding decisively. "Alright, we'll need to get to B1 first, right? How do we do that?" he asked, walking over to the bed and picking up his guns.

Sasuno didn't look up as he replied. "You'll need to go down the main staircase and into the entrance hall of the temple...but..." he trailed off.

"But what?" Rikku asked, worried.

"The main hall is heavily guarded. It'll be difficult to fight through them all to get to the back and—"

They all froze as they heard a loud hissing sound, before Gippal quickly picked up the communicator hanging on his hip.

"Damn it! Are you alright, kid? Where's Rikku? Where the hell are you two?!" a voice hissed on the other end as Gippal held the device in front of him. Rikku scrambled over to his side, their eyes locked on the glowing blue screen of the communicator.

"Cid! Cid! Can you hear me?" Gippal spoke frantically into the speaker, while still trying to keep his voice low.

Silence on the other end as they waited. Suddenly the sound of gunshots could be heard from the other side of the line. Rikku's eyes flew to the window. Or were the gunshots from out there?

"Argh! They've...spotted us!" Cid exclaimed from the other end again. More gunshots could be heard in the background before a loud static sound began to blend in with Cid's voice. "Get her over here in one piece, kid! We'll try to...hold off...from—" and the screen grew dark, the sound cut off completely.

"Damn..." Gippal cursed under his breath, clicking the button again in hopes of getting in contact with Cid.

Rikku stared at the blank screen, stunned at what she had just heard. Her eyes slowly rose to meet Gippal's before flying to Sasuno in desperation. "How do we get to B1?" she asked in a shaky whisper.

With a stern face Sasuno walked over to them, attaching two handguns at his hip. "I'll lead the guards away from the main hall. That'll give you enough time to slip into the door leading into B1. From there, you need to make your way across the icy path and climb the steps up to Lake Macalania," he explained quickly, bending down to secure his boots.

Gippal reached down and found Rikku's hand, holding it firmly in his. The warmth seemed to calm her down as she followed close behind him. "Lead the way, Sasuno," he simply said. Rikku could sense the hesitance in his voice, but he still held onto her hand nonetheless.

The other Al Bhed nodded before sending them both a cocky grin. He held open the door leading out into the hall, his expression unwavering. They watched as Sasuno took out a communicator of his own from inside his pocket and switched on the screen.

"Attack on Lake Macalania. All guards in the main foyer report to the Lake immediately. I repeat, attack on Lake Macalania...all guards..."

Rikku froze, realizing what was happening. She rushed to Sasuno's side in desperation as he completed the order.

"B-But that's where my dad is! There's no way his men can stand up against yours..."

"We have no other choice, Rikku. That will give you just enough time to get into B1 and make your away across the lower path." He looked down, as if regretting what he had just done. "Please understand..."

Rikku looked up at Gippal, her worry intensifying by the second. He was watching Sasuno seriously, a hint of unease in his only good eye. She let her gaze drift away from his before a gentle squeeze on her hand caused her eyes to lock with his. He smiled, a reassuring one that made her feel as if everything was going to be alright. Yes, everything was going to be alright.

Rikku secured the handgun at her hip, finally nodding to both men. "Okay, let's go."

======

Serru stood looking out the large window, wondering what the order Sasuno had called for was all about. Through the darkness, he could make out the figures of his own guards moving quickly across the solitary ice pathway leading away from the temple and into Lake Macalania.

The only guards that were on call were the men watching the main hallway, which meant that it was unguarded and...

He cursed under his breath, realizing what was going on.

"You can't escape that easily, my dear..." he whispered, reaching into the desk drawer. He felt the familiar weight in his hands, and hastily shoved the weapon into his coat pocket, making his way out the door.

Serru threw another quick glance out the large window and headed in the direction he knew his brother had taken them.

=====

"What the hell...do you hear that...?" Tidus asked, slowing his steps. The group looked at him through the darkness, silencing their footsteps as well.

"It sounds like...gunshots..." Yuna commented in a whisper, tugging at the bandage wrapped around her arm. Tidus moved his gaze from Yuna to Isaaru, blue eyes catching the moonlight. The other man wore a worried expression, lines running through his forehead.

The group had finally made it out of the Macalania Woods in one piece. Because of the waning life of the forest, there were no enemies to threaten them. No Chimeras to battle with. The darkness had forced them to move especially slow, and the only light that illuminated their pathway was the gentle glow of the moon.

"But why here? What's going—"

A loud cry pierced the night air, halting Yuna's sentence. The ex-summoner paused, realizing with a strangled horror that the voice had sounded too much like her Uncle Cid's voice. Her green and blue eyes flew to Tidus.

"That sounded like Cid!"

Tidus looked back and forth between the women for a moment before pulling out his own weapon, nodding decisively.

"Let's go! Whatever it is, he might need our help!" Paine exclaimed wildly, her boots kicking up snow as she raced towards the lake, the rest of the group trailing closely behind.

=====

Rikku held onto Gippal's hand tightly. The darkness seemed to swallow them up, no sign of light anywhere.

"Are you alright, Rikku?" Gippal whispered, his voice comforting. He continued to lead them forward. After reaching the main hall, Sasuno had opened up a door in the back hallway, instructing them to simply travel north until they reached the end of the tunnel. He had also warned them about the darkness, but assured them that they would eventually reach the doorway leading out of the temple.

"I'm fine," Rikku responded, her voice sounding small in the dark. She quickened her pace to catch up with Gippal's long strides, feeling his strong hold around her hand.

Despite it all, she couldn't have been more relieved that it was him that was here to save her. It was him that she was escaping with, and Rikku only hoped that everything would turn out okay. She wanted nothing more than to see Yuna and Paine and everyone once again.

But deep down, her heart ached. Her whole kidnapping had more than likely pained her family, and did Yuna and Paine know about what had happened to her? She heard Gippal's breaths ahead, and she could feel her eyes beginning to water for everything he had done for her; everything he was now doing for her.

She blinked, forcing back the tears.

"We're finally here...!" Gippal whispered suddenly. Rikku snapped out of her own thoughts and heard metal clinking and scraping loudly against each other.

"Gippal...what's happening?" she asked shakily, still feeling his comforting hold on her. No sooner had she uttered the last word that light suddenly flooded her vision, causing her to shield her face with one hand. Cold wind hit her bare legs as Gippal held the heavy metal door open for her.

Rikku stepped out into the snow, immediately seeing the solitary ice pathway Sasuno had shown them on the map. With a look of dread, she raised her eyes to meet Gippal's gaze.

"This is our only chance..." he seemed to know what she had been thinking. "I'm here, Rikku," Gippal smiled.

She nodded once, before he began to walk again, the ice crunching underneath his weight. The wind whipped her hair wildly about as they trudged through the snow, and she could feel the cold rising from her boots.

"Rikku...! Whatever you do, don't look down, alright?" Gippal spoke loudly through the wind. She shakily tore her gaze away from the water below them and focused her attention instead on Gippal's back, her heart pounding as they continued to tread carefully on the snow-covered pathway.

Up ahead, she could make out the unmistakable shape of the stairway that Sasuno had spoken about. Its looming form led up into Lake Macalania, where her father and the crew were no doubt waiting. She felt a rush of energy flow through her veins as she lifted her feet with a newfound purpose.

Gippal turned around and flashed her a smile, snow clinging to his blonde spikes as he felt Rikku tug on his arm. "You alright? Suddenly you look really happy...!" he joked, stopping for a moment.

She laughed softly, pulling him forward. "We're almost there, Gippal! C'mon!" Rikku urged, tugging him forward. Gippal simply smiled, letting her grab hold of his hand. With their hands safely clasped together again, he walked ahead of her as she allowed him to lead the way once more.

The chilly wind continued to blow fiercely, not faltering to allow for even a moment of relief. Rikku squinted through the snow, suddenly scanning the cliffs above them. She turned her head to look behind them, Macalania Temple looming high.

A shadow of movement caught her eye up above. Rikku slowed her steps, her eyes fixed upon that single spot on the cliff directly above them. Gippal felt her drag slightly, and he turned around to look at Rikku.

"What happened...?" he asked, squinting his good eye from the snow. When she didn't respond, he moved his gaze to where her vision was fixed and he saw it as well. Four dark figures spaced next to each other on the cliff above them. But there was no mistaking their movement. Gippal grabbed Rikku's hand again, his heart pounding loudly in his chest. "Damn! They're going to see us!" he exclaimed frantically, moving quickly across the snow.

Rikku moved rapidly behind Gippal, but her eyes were still focused on the men at the top. They were without a doubt the Al Bhed that Sasuno had ordered out. The cold wind was almost painful on her legs now, and she tried desperately to watch where she was going. Yet something continued to draw her vision to the men on the cliff. Had they been spotted?

A sickening feeling began to rise in her stomach, and she felt her chest tightening in dread. Those guards were standing awfully still despite the weather and—

Her eyes widened and she gasped, quickly throwing herself onto Gippal and knocking him down. Rikku heard the startled cry in his voice as she fell on top of him. They heard the blast from the gun before seeing the bullet graze the snow, the powdery dust shining in the early morning sunlight.

Beneath her, Gippal groaned again and Rikku caught his eye, seeing the look of horror in his shining orbs.

"Rikku...we were almost..." his voice faltered.

She shook her head, scrambling quickly off of him and pulling him to his feet. The cold no longer bothered her and she reached for his gloved hand.

"They were aiming for you, Gippal...!" she replied, struggling to keep her voice steady. Her pace began to increase and she felt Gippal close behind her, trailing at her heels.

Gippal felt the blood drain from his face as he realized how close to death he had been once again. He looked up at the cliff, seeing the men scurrying this way and that. "Rikku!" he called, catching his breath. "Keep moving! They'll need to have damn good aim if they want me!" Gippal exclaimed, feeling his blood pumping.

Another gunshot fired, and Gippal could hear it graze the snow behind him, just inches from where his boots had been. They were moving more quickly than before now.

Rikku threw a glance at him and squeezed his hand, a soothing, yet reassuring gesture. Gippal could see the end of the path clearly this time, the stairway leading up the Lake finally visible. His eyes slowly trailed up the stairway as the wind whipped about them wildly.

And he froze.

Rikku had stopped running as well, her green eyes large with fear as they both stared at the man who stood at the end of the pathway. He took long, steady strides down the stairs before stopping at the bottom, a gun resting securely in his palm. Even through the snow, a smile was playing about his lips.

"That's right, Gippal. Bring her back to me..." Serru laughed.

=====

A/N: So I lied. There will be only two more chapters left before the story is complete. =/ ::hides from fans::

I really hope you all visualized this scene where Rikku and Gippal are escaping. If you couldn't, then try loading up your FFX game (not FFX-2) and control Tidus so that you're right outside Macalania Temple (the building with the two people standing in front). If you look carefully on the field map, you'll see a small path that branches out starting from the entrance of the temple, but it really runs below where you'll be standing.

If you control Tidus more and run the full length of the main ice path, you'll see a semi-hidden pathway that I mentioned was visible on the game field map. This is the pathway that Rikku and Gippal are now escaping on.

Hope that helps! See you in Chapter 16!


	16. I Remember

=====

{{ Chapter 16: I Remember }}

=====

His eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Even in the early sunrise, those green orbs seemed to glow as he approached, hot and fiery.

"Thought you could escape so soon, could you?" he laughed again before his smile faded. "I've waited a long time for this day..." Serru whispered, slowly pulling out his gun, its unmistakable form clearly visible in the early light. Rikku watched with horrified eyes as she saw one of Serru's fingers hover dangerously over the trigger.

Gippal felt his heartbeat quickening as his gaze locked with Serru's, and despite the cold environment they were standing in, perspiration began forming on his forehead. He narrowed his eye at Serru, expression unwavering.

Serru laughed aloud before taking a few frightening steps towards them both. Rikku suppressed a gasp and Gippal glanced quickly at her. He stepped and swiftly moved her behind him in one motion. And, with a turn he faced Serru once again.

"Well I'm here," Gippal spoke firmly, waving a gloved hand through the air. Rikku's eyes snapped back into attention as Serru laughed again, his voice rich and deep. He continued to chuckle, his head leaning back for a moment with his eyes shut. A flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye caused Rikku to look at Gippal. Instantly she spotted his right hand move fast behind himself, and in a flash of black and red, Gippal had gripped the end of his gun.

"Move out of the way, Serru," Gippal spoke evenly, bringing up his own weapon in haste. Serru immediately stopped as he eyed the gun that was now pointed at him. The two stood opposite from each other, cold wind bringing up the white powdery snow all around them. Serru felt a smirk tugging at his lips as he held his own weapon at Gippal.

"You know why I took her?" Serru asked all of a sudden, his finger still hovering over the trigger. Gippal stood steadily, his teeth grinding as he held up his own gun as well. He didn't respond and Serru continued, one of his eyebrows raised. "Because Cid had promised her to me."

Rikku felt the blood drain from her face as Serru's final words tumbled off his tongue. Her eyes grew wide and she instinctively moved her gaze to Gippal, wondering what in the world Serru was talking about. He had his back to her, his position still firm as he held the gun in his hand.

"That's right, my dear," Serru said, a hint of glee in his normally stoic voice as he took a step towards them both. His green eyes were locked on Rikku.

"Lies! Don't listen to him, Rikku!" Gippal's voice exclaimed over the wind, the gun shaking in his hand. "Cid didn't know about me, you bastard! If he did, then he wouldn't have opened his mouth to someone like you," he finished, venom dripping off his words. Rikku looked hesitantly from Serru to Gippal, her heart heavy.

"I'm going to pay you back for what you did to my father all those years ago," Serru began to speak this time, drawing their attention back to him. He motioned through the air with a hand. "Or shall I say what you _didn't _do for him."

"You know there was nothing I could do for him then and you still know it now!" Gippal replied angrily, clenching his fist. Serru did not reply. Instead, he began to pace back and forth in front of them, and Gippal followed him with his own gun.

A moment of silence hung heavily in the cold, icy air. Up above them, Rikku could hear faint gunshots on the cliffs, and she squeezed her eyes shut in pain at the thought of her father and his men being outnumbered. Her mind suddenly remembered a name.

Sasuno.

Where the hell was he? Dread began to well up inside of her at the possibility of what could have happened to their other companion.

"I shall let you experience the pain I have felt since that day, Gippal. You are not going to leave here," Serru spoke threateningly, advancing stiffly towards them. He had ignored what Gippal had said a moment ago and was now dangerously close to him.

Gippal stood ready, his knees slightly bent. He felt a bead of sweat roll down one side of his face as Serru suddenly stopped a few feet in front of him. Gippal's blood was pumping furiously; the anticipation from what he knew was about to happen completely controlling his senses.

And with haste, he leaped forward, throwing his body to the side and violently against the snow as the blast from Serru's gun finally ripped through the air. Gippal grunted as his body landed with a hard thud against the cold snow as Serru's bullet grazed the ground. He threw himself forward again, twisting his body upward and around, Serru's second bullet just barely grazing his shoulder this time.

Gippal took a deep breath, his blood pumping. He quickly turned to Serru again.

Rikku squeezed her eyes shut in horror, watching Gippal dodge two shots that Serru had fired at him. The other man stood stunned, quickly trying to aim at Gippal again.

Serru looked up in shock, seeing only a blur of yellow and red. He groaned in pain, Gippal taking him down quickly as they both tumbled down into the snow. A punch hit him full force on the jaw and he groaned again, trying desperately to get a hold of his gun.

Serru fumbled carelessly, realizing that his own weapon was nowhere within reach. He quickly brought his elbow up into Gippal's chin, startling the other man for a moment. He saw fire in Gippal's one eye and took the opportunity to land a hard blow to him again.

Blinding pain shot through Gippal's body as Serru kneed him in the stomach. White dots danced in front of Gippal's vision for a moment longer as he gripped the other man's shoulders, fighting to throw him away from him this time. The two men tumbled in the snow, kicking up the white powder in their trail.

A cry of pain escaped Gippal's lips as Serru threw a fast one at his jaw, the sickening sound of bone to bone echoing loudly in the air. The burning quickly subsided as Gippal found an opening this time. He swung his right arm hard, fist landing squarely on Serru's eye. He caught the grimace of pain in the other Al Bhed's face and Gippal took the opportunity to scramble to his feet, beckoning for Serru with one gloved hand.

"Come on..." Gippal taunted, quickly wiping the blood that had begun to trickle from the cut on his lip. He was breathing hard, his burning lungs eager to take in air. His good eye watched Serru's form carefully, gaze sweeping from the man's face to his feet, anticipating Serru's next move. Turning, Gippal glanced quickly behind him and saw Rikku standing frozen, a look of horror crossing her face as she met his line of vision. He turned back to look at Serru and he felt his heart stop.

Serru's laugh was like glass cutting him open as he saw his own gun in Serru's hand. Cursing at himself, Gippal reached behind him and felt air, knowing that the weapon was indeed in Serru's hand.

"All that pain for nothing, hm Gippal?" Serru said, a low grin sliding over his face. He had blood dripping from the side of his mouth as well, the skin around one of his eyes beginning to swell from the punch Gippal had generously given him.

It was happening so soon. He had been careless and now his opponent had the upper hand this time. But he would never accept defeat.

Diving forward, he kicked his leg up, seeing Serru's eyes bulge in pain. The unexpected kick to the other man's stomach gave him some space and he grabbed Serru's arm, fighting to get the weapon out of his hand. Serru growled under his breath and he fought to move the weapon in Gippal's direction.

"Don't move, Serru!!!"

Gippal felt Serru's grip loosen slightly and he slowed down his movements, his gaze flying in Rikku's direction. Her hands shakily grasped the end of her own gun, and Gippal almost passed out right then and there at the sight of Rikku clutching a gun. He couldn't help but smile crookedly to himself at how quick she seemed to be with everything.

"Get out of the way," Rikku said quietly, the gun in her hands now steady. She had a firm grip around the weapon, and her voice was no longer trembling. Gippal looked at Serru. A moment of hesitance seemed to flicker across Serru's features as he stared at Rikku, completely stunned. Yet, a slow smile appeared on his face as he watched her.

"Alright, Rikku. You win."

She blinked, turning to Gippal. The blonde Al Bhed had his eye locked on Serru as he inched slowly in the direction Rikku was standing.

"I know how much you care for him," Serru spoke up, directing his words towards Gippal, disgust evident in his words. They watched as Serru slowly lowered his weapon so that his arm hung limply to one side. He looked up again and took a step in their direction, holding out a hand. "So I shall spare his life if you come with me, Rikku."

Gippal felt his anger spilling again and he cried out, his teeth grit together in a burning fury. He quickly grabbed the gun from Rikku's hands and without another breath, pointed it squarely at Serru.

"Like hell she'll go with you!" he exclaimed fiercely, his finger on the trigger.

Serru remained still, expression neutral before he dropped his gaze. The blood on his mouth had begun to dry and he looked worn, tired and spent. Silence danced through the air as the two watched Serru's form carefully, his head down. Rikku could feel her heart thudding so loud in her chest, that even through the furious winds, she knew they could hear it.

One corner of his mouth curled upward as he looked up at them at last. "You had your one chance," he began in a low voice. They heard the gun click loudly through the cold air as Serru's head snapped up at them. "This is the end, Gippal!!"

Rikku gasped, feeling tears leak from her eyes.

"SERRU!!!"

She choked back a sob as furious winds suddenly lashed up from below them. Serru turned at the familiar voice, lowering his gun at the scene. Their gazes flew to the chasm directly below before a small airship rose up, the roar of the engine drowning out Rikku's strangled cry of relief.

Sasuno stood at the edge of the open airship door, a gun clutched tightly in his right hand, while one of his other hands gripping the edge of the door. His eyes held an almost panicked expression as the wind from the engine's propeller whipped his hair wildly about. He nodded once to the pilot before the airship hovered closer to the ice path.

In one giant leap, Sasuno landed directly in front of them, ice flying in the air. The airship remained circling around the cliffs, its spotlight focused directly down on them.

A low chuckle suddenly escaped Serru's lips.

"What will you do, Sasuno?" he exclaimed through the air, taking a menacing step towards his brother. The combination of the airship circling the sky, as well as the howl from the wind was almost deafening.

Sasuno advanced without hesitation towards Serru, his weapon not faltering.

"You going to shoot your own brother?" Serru taunted in a low whisper. They stood facing each other, guns pointed. Sasuno stood motionless. He searched Serru's eyes for a moment before looking away in the direction of where Rikku and Gippal stood.

"Run! Get the hell out of here now...!" he cried out, his voice almost cracking. Rikku looked to Gippal in desperation. He stared at the two brothers for a moment before finally meeting her gaze. In one smooth movement, Gippal reached down and grabbed her hand. His own weapon was in his other, and Rikku looked up, seeing the airship lower in their direction.

"Sasuno...!" Rikku shouted, seeing Serru's arm swing up and punch him in the jaw. Sasuno groaned and fell painfully back.

"You fool!" Serru laughed, aiming this time for Sasuno. He stopped in front of his brother's hunched-over form, fire burning in his eyes. "This is what you get for interfering!" Serru exclaimed again, kicking him hard in the ribs. A cry of pain escaped Sasuno's lips, and he turned to Gippal.

"I dammit! GO!!" he yelled to Gippal. Taking one of his free legs, Sasuno kicked forward, tangling it in Serru's and knocking him down in the process. His gun went flailing through the air, and Sasuno kicked the weapon away from him, groaning as Serru kicked him again. They rolled through the snow, Serru fighting to escape Sasuno's grip on him.

"Let go at once!" Serru yelled in anger, his cries muffled when Sasuno punched him this time.

Without wasting another moment, Gippal ran forward, Rikku at his hand. Serru looked up and saw the two rush past him. He lunged forward, trying to grab onto Rikku's leg.

Not quick enough.

Sasuno grabbed him by the shoulders, throwing them hard into the snow once more.

Rikku and Gippal raced quickly by the two, heading towards the end of the pathway. The sun had begun its steady rise, lighting up the way for them. She was breathing quickly, the cold air sharp against her face.

They were now a good distance away from where Serru and Sasuno were, before Rikku felt her feet dragging.

"B-But what about Sasuno?! What's gonna happen to him!" Rikku exclaimed as they neared the stairs leading up to Lake Macalania.

Gippal shut his good eye, coming to a complete stop. Rikku searched his face, knowing that he knew exactly what she was thinking at that moment. He turned around in the direction they had just been, seeing the two brothers' dark form in the distance. Before he could open his mouth to reply, a piercing blast ripped through the air, causing Gippal's heart to come to a winding stop. He looked to Rikku. Her eyes were shiny, and she opened her mouth, both of their gazes immediately flying to look back behind them.

The short run back to the scene seemed to happen in slow motion. Gippal was ahead of her, and she had stopped right behind him, her eyes widening in horror.

Serru was slumped over, one of his hands clutching his sides. Dark blood was oozing out of the wound, staining the white snow beneath him. Sasuno was kneeled beside him, a gun lying next to him. Rikku looked back and forth between the two brothers in shock, feeling her stomach sinking to her feet. She felt tears stinging the back of her eyes and she dropped next to Sasuno, seeing that Serru was still alive.

"N-No...it can't be..." she whispered, unable to find her voice. As much as she wanted to scream, she couldn't bring herself to do so.

"Th-is...is what you've always wanted...isn't it, Sasuno...?" Serru choked painfully, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Tears were flowing out of his eyes, face contorted with pain. Gippal stood stunned, his gaze quickly dropping to the gun on the ground.

_What had happened here?_

Sasuno had his head lowered, long bangs covering his eyes. "How could...you even say that, brother?" he replied in a quiet whisper, voice quivering. He finally looked up, his brown eyes glistening with tears. He gripped Serru's hand tightly, bringing it to his forehead. "Even after all the guilt you've given me all these years...I never wanted to see you hurt..." he spoke, sobbing. Serru coughed, blood bubbling from his mouth. "So please...don't ever say that I wanted this...!" Sasuno exclaimed, a wave of emotion ripping from the depths of his soul.

It was silent for a moment, Sasuno's short sobs filling the air. Rikku looked at Gippal, tears flowing from her own eyes. She stood and made her way over to him, and he gathered her into his arms. Gippal felt Rikku clutch him tightly, and he stroked her back, hoping to stop her crying.

He looked over Rikku's head and to Sasuno and Serru, the two men who had represented a past that he had successfully forgotten. The three of them had been connected by threads of guilt, hate, and revenge. He knew that he had run away from it all simply because he didn't want to remember. He didn't want to live with that nagging feeling that perhaps Serru had been right all along. Perhaps there was something Gippal could have done for their father.

Now, looking back at it all, he hated himself for running away from his fears. He let his own weakness bring him down, and his adolescence had been filled with insecurities as a result of it.

"_Why have you told me all this about yourself?"_

Gippal shut his eye, remembering what Rikku had asked him earlier...before everything had happened.

They had been speaking about the past together, and he had unconsciously opened up a bit of himself to her. It was the first time he had done something even remotely related to speaking about himself, and Rikku was the first person he had said it to. Gippal had also remembered his surprise when she had admitted her own feelings about herself to him. He now understood that there was much more to the seemingly cheerful and carefree girl that he had only saw from the outside.

Like Rikku, he had let her reach a place within him that he had closed off. Her confessions to him, as well as the sense of loneliness he always seemed to see in her eyes drew him to her. Sometime during their time together, something had broken; the barriers had been lifted for both of them.

Gippal pulled her closer to him, feeling her breathing evening out, and he was glad that her sobbing at ceased. She felt her arms tighten around him as well. Up above, the airship had turned off its spotlight and Gippal could hear the pilot exclaiming loudly into his communicator.

Turning to where Sasuno and Serru were, he took a few steps in their direction before pausing. Serru had begun to speak again.

"Sasuno...I-I...don't think I'm going to make it out of this one..." he chuckled gently, a sharp intake of breath cutting off his words.

Sasuno shut his eyes, fearing that his brother would say that. He could feel a dull, yet heavy pain in his heart, and he stared down into Serru's shiny eyes. Sasuno cursed at himself, feeling tears stinging the back of his eyes once again.

"Damn it, Serru," he began shakily, clutching onto his brother's hand tightly. "I-If you hadn't been so stupid...this wouldn't have happened..." Sasuno whispered weakly, dropping his head.

Serru turned his eyes to Rikku and Gippal, a soft smile at his lips. "I was...a fool. I-I'm so...sorry to you both..." he gasped. Rikku suppressed another sob as Gippal turned his gaze away, the other man's words too painful to listen to. He felt a lump rising in his throat and he swallowed, his own mouth dry.

Serru took another rattling breath, a sound of a sob and chuckle escaping his lips. The airship above finally lowered to the ground behind them. The pilot rushed out, followed by two Al Bhed men as they ran towards them. A look of fear flitted across the pilot's features as he took in the sight of Serru's bleeding form. With a nod Sasuno stood up, still holding his brother's hand as the pilot and the men lifted Serru's body.

"Brother...please forgive me..." Serru whispered hoarsely, squeezing Sasuno's hand. He looked into his brother's brown eyes with sadness, guilt and regret tearing at his heart. He felt tears leak out from his own eyes. Sasuno bit back a wave of emotion that rushed through him as he looked down at his brother's helpless form, Serru's words echoing in his ears.

Sasuno nodded, forcing himself to smile at Serru, despite the nagging feeling at his heart.

Serru turned to the medics and nodded as they rushed him into the airship. He took another ragged breath, and his face was pale...so incredibly pale.

Sasuno climbed into the airship after his brother as the pilot took his seat behind the controls. He looked out and down to Gippal and Rikku. In the distance behind the two, he could see people running out towards them from the other end of the path. A bittersweet feeling washed over Sasuno, and he smiled, raising his hand as he waved goodbye to them.

The airship lifted up and white powder swirled all around them, sparkling in the now bright sunlight. Gippal raised his own hand at Sasuno, seeing the airship heading in the direction of the clinic. He could see Rikku out of the corner of his eye, and he turned fully to her seeing that she held an arm out to her chest.

"A salute..." Gippal whispered in disbelief, knowing that the Al Bhed had stopped using the salute years ago. It had been used to honor superiors, or those who had fallen in battle. He looked at Rikku, seeing tears falling quietly down her cheeks.

Without another word, she ran into his arms. He brought her to him, his own heart heavy.

"It's alright, Rikku," Gippal whispered comfortingly, feeling her trembling against him. "It's all over now..." He felt her nod, quickly wiping her eyes.

"Rikku..." The normally gruff voice was soft this time, strong, yet full of relief.

Turning around, they took in the form of Cid, his appearance wrinkled and exhausted as he stood before them. He dropped his weapon as Rikku began to walk in his direction, her legs quickening to a jog.

Gippal recognized Paine, who stood a few feet away from Cid. Beside her were Tidus and Yuna, and the former-summoner Isaaru not too far away. Like Cid, they also looked worn; no doubt fighting in the battle from the night before. Gippal saw Paine and Yuna rush towards Rikku before they hugged each other, their cries of relief and joy filling the air.

He stood away from them for a moment, a gentle smile upon his lips. The morning somehow seemed clearer that day, and he tilted his head towards the sky. In the horizon, the airship was quickly becoming a fading blot of gray.

_Best of luck to you both..._

======

A/N: Final chapter coming very soon.

Expect it sometime in the next few weeks or so this month. See you in the conclusion of the fic. =)


	17. All My Life

A/N: And so, this is the end. I know this will shock most of you when I say this, but this fic is probably the last chapter-type fic I'll be writing for a long, long, time. ::hides from gasps:: ;

The reason for this is because school will be taking up a huge chunk of my time from this moment on, so I won't have as much free time available to come up with a long and epic story. =p But don't worry. I'll be releasing short one-shots, and little point of view/reflection type of stories from other games/anime that I've seen, so I'm not disappearing forever!

I'd like to express my thanks to all the wonderful readers who have taken the time to read, review, and enjoy this story. Judging by how many reviews I've received for the fic so far, I'm pleasantly surprised that you all embraced the story like you did. =) You have no idea how much your support has meant to me, and for that I am so grateful.

"_The emotions simply come together, spiraling to create an almost ethereal, unfathomable wholeness. A canvas in which one can neither like nor dislike. It simply is. And for that, I can't help but feel the sense of beauty." _

{{ Final Chapter: All My Life }}

"Are you at least eating right?"

Her cousin's worried tone greeted her ears and Rikku couldn't help but smile. Old times never seemed to change, but she was glad.

"Yeah, Yunie. I am. I'm doing great here," she replied with a short laugh, deeply touched that her cousin had begun to show signs of acceptance towards Rikku's decision.

A moment of silence passed, neither saying anything. The communicator's screen began to blink in time with Yuna's voice once again.

"Rikku...are you...really okay?" she asked, her words shielding what it was that they both knew she really wanted to say. They both knew it, but were too afraid to speak the name.

"Of course I am..." Rikku answered, knowing that she wasn't completely being honest with herself. She could sense the hesitance on Yuna's end before her cousin spoke up once more, taking a short breath.

"Just remember that I'm here, okay? Both Paine and I. Don't be afraid to ask for anything." Rikku sat down on the bed, pausing as Yuna took another breath. "Take care, Rikku."

"Thanks, Yunie. You too," Rikku replied quietly after some time, a soft smile at her lips. The screen's gentle glow began to fade gradually before it returned to its original black color. She was lost in thought, her mind almost sinking into the darkness of the screen.

Clicking off the communicator, she stood from the bed, making her way over to the large window overlooking the ocean. The first traces of dusk were just barely visible, brilliant orange-yellow rays streaking the evening sky. A light breeze blew in through the open window, its warmth comforting. She let out a long sigh.

Luca was one of those cities that never seemed to lose its sense of wonder. Everywhere Rikku turned, her eyes never missed the fast-paced movement of life. It floated from all corners of Luca, and people were always so friendly, living only for the moment. The city was filled with laughter, activity, and there was something about its energy that Rikku so-longingly wanted to be a part of.

Her announcement to Yuna and Paine was sudden, but Rikku knew that her two companions had fought to keep their spirits high for her sake. They had respected her decision and understood why she had wanted to leave. On their last night together, the three of them had gone up to the hill in Kilika and lay underneath the stars, giggling and remembering old times. The sky had been beautiful that night, stars dotting the night with an eternal brilliance.

Yuna and Paine did not question her decision about leaving them. In their hearts, they knew that Rikku's heart could not simply allow her to remain in one place. They knew that she had always wanted to reach further...past all the seemingly routine pace of life. And the moment Rikku arrived in Luca again, she knew that she had finally found it.

It had been one month since the incident at the snowfield. One month since her narrow escape and close encounter with death. Moving away from the window, Rikku turned to look around her new home. It was cozy, and she fell in love with it the moment she set her eyes on the small dwelling.

Her eyes trailed over to the table beside her, the familiar handwriting upon the wrinkled paper catching her attention. Wandering over to it, her fingers unfolded the letter, reading through the words again.

_Rikku,_

_How have you been? I hope that you're in the best of health and that you have finally found the peace you deserve. It has been one week since we last spoke, and by now I am sure you are wondering what happened after the airship took Serru and I away._

_It's with a heavy heart that I say that my brother did not make it. As I write this, I find it difficult to stop my hand from trembling, and I still cannot believe that Serru is gone. The brother that I had always feared has left me alone in this world, yet somehow, it seems that I've always been alone. My only wish is that Serru can finally find peace in a world he believed took it away from him._

_I've moved back to the Omega Islands, my home village. Our old faction has transferred to the islands to help me rebuild it, since many of them have their own memories here as well. I don't want to forget where I was born, and this is the least I can do for Serru. If only he were still alive to see it._

_I'm so sorry, Rikku, and I know words alone can never make up for what you have experienced because of us. I hope that you can forgive what we have put you and Gippal through, and the first thing I could ever wish for was that none of this would have ever happened. I should have realized it all sooner, but somehow I feel that there was a reason why we met. You both have taught me the true joy of being alive, and I now know that I can move forward without any regrets. And for that, I thank you. _

_Perhaps we'll all see each other again someday..._

_Take care,_

_Sasuno_

Rikku stared at the words for an extra moment longer, feeling a tear slide down one cheek. She had always believed that even through the most difficult of times lay a goodness that surpassed it all. Sasuno's letter had confirmed that, and she smiled, quickly wiping her eyes. _Yes, perhaps we will be able to see each other again._

Her gaze caught the one name on the letter she had been so hesitant to speak aloud, and suddenly her heart grew heavy. _Gippal._

Three days after she had received Sasuno's letter, Gippal came to her one night and informed her that he was leaving for a while. She had questioned him about it, yet his only answer was that he was going to finish one last task before returning to her in Luca. Without saying another word, he had left her room and she heard from Cid the following morning that Gippal had indeed left.

Now, one month later, Rikku had still not heard from him. She sat down on her bed, looking out towards the ocean once more. Gippal's absence had raised questions within her, and whether or not she was prepared to answer them was still up in the air.

How did he feel about her? Were they a couple? And most importantly, how did she really feel about him? She hated herself for even doubting what they had shared together, yet his abrupt absence was making her feel otherwise.

She was angry and confused that he was gone. She wanted to see him again, but at the same time she was afraid to face him. Afraid to tell him how she truly felt. Rikku's eyes fell to the floor. And Gippal had certainly made her feel something.

Before she had the opportunity to spend more time with him after Yuna and Paine had left her alone at Kilika, romance was far from something Rikku had ever expected she would encounter. Sure there were the crushes and the few male friends she had. But...love? She would have laughed aloud if someone had asked her about it back then. But that was back then.

She had found herself unable to sleep at night since Gippal had left. Her thoughts were always clouded with memories of him. He had made her feel good about herself in a way that no other person had done. He made her feel cherished, as if her presence alone was enough for him. His entrance into her life was unexpected, and Rikku desperately wanted to see him again.

And yet, she had not heard from him in almost a month. Hurt, frustrated, and confused, she let out a sigh again, letting herself fall back into the soft blankets.

Her eyes trailed to the clock hanging above her bed.

"Oh no! I'm late...!" she exclaimed, quickly scrambling to her feet. Pulling on her boots, Rikku headed in the direction of the door, her hands instinctively reaching up to her ears to see if they were on. _Oh right. I never got my second earring back._ Rikku thought inwardly to herself, as she put her one earring in her pocket.

Grabbing her keys, she stepped out into the warm evening air. The sun was still visible in the horizon, giving the city a soft, orange glow. She wore a light yellow skirt and a white sleeveless top, with matching white sandals at her feet. Instead of the usual spunky hairstyle with her carefully tied braids, Rikku opted instead to let all her hair down for the evening. She had brushed it out and was surprised at how long her hair fell at her back. Although she knew that her appearance was different from what people were used to, it made her feel new again.

_A new look for a new life..._

Shrugging away her thoughts, Rikku walked quickly down the stairs leading into the main city square. Looking around, she saw an old couple sitting quietly on the bench, a white puppy at their feet. She smiled at the couple as they nodded once at her. They were the only people sitting outside for the evening, and for once the square looked empty. She headed silently past them, her sandals clicking in the quiet air.

It was her first week in her new home, and Rikku had decided to spend the evening at the first game of the season.

The dome was now in view as Rikku quickened her pace, finally hearing the loud cheers and splashing water. Lights danced ahead from the Luca stadium, and she approached the guard at the gates. Handing him her ticket, she heard him mumble a quiet "thank you" before allowing her to pass.

She headed up the stairs to her right, thankful for the quiet atmosphere of her balcony seat. No one else seemed to be sitting in the area, but for once she was glad. Looking below, the players had just begun to swim out into the water dome as the crowd cheered them on. Rikku frowned. She had never been much of a Luca Goers fan, and was secretly cheering for the Al Bhed Psyches. The hatch on the opposite side of the dome opened and the Psyches swam out, as if right on cue. She stood from her seat, standing against the balcony to have a better view of the game.

The still silence of the balcony area belied the enthusiastic cheers from the audience down below, and Rikku found herself feeling achingly alone. She was glad for the silence, yet somehow it didn't seem to calm her mind as much as she thought it would have.

A flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye caused her to move her vision slightly to the side. She did not turn around, deciding that other people had bought the seats in her area as well and must have been late like she was. A few seconds of silence passed before she heard a man clear his throat. She raised a hand to push a lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes on the first blitzoff.

"I...hope I'm not late."

She had barely heard the voice before sensing the person behind her this time. Turning around, Rikku felt her heart come to a winding stop.

"Hey."

She stood stunned, unable to open her mouth to speak. She knew her eyes were wide with shock, and she met his gaze, feeling her mind growing hazy. He stood a few feet away before taking a step towards her, looking down at his boots.

"Let's talk down in the square," he said quietly.

Rikku found herself looking away from him before finally nodding in agreement. He smiled before turning to lead them out of the balcony.

Her sandals echoed down the stairway as they exited the stadium, stepping out into the evening air once again. She found herself looking up towards the sky, the orange and yellow hues bright and glowing. Her eyes fell to her feet as they finally stopped near the dock. The water sparkled below them.

Rikku continued to avoid his gaze, her mind filled with a hundred questions to ask him.

He studied her for a moment. She stood with her eyes to the ground, her long hair flowing in the breeze. Her new appearance was making it difficult for him to keep his feelings from spilling right at that moment. _She's beautiful..._

Rikku looked down into the clear water, the water's movement reflecting in her green eyes.

"You haven't said a word..." he said quietly, knowing how she must have felt at that moment. He cursed himself for waiting until the end, moving closer to her. "Rikku...I came back because I—"

"You never called..." she finally spoke, her voice quiet. He looked up to meet her clear eyes before tearing his gaze away. "All this time I thought you left for good..." Her voice curled with emotion and he hated himself for making her wait so long. He moved so that he was right in front of her, and he reached down to hold her hand in one of his.

"Rikku...I'm here now," he whispered. She looked up at him, allowing her hand to remain in his.

"Why did you leave...?"

He turned away, smiling gently. "I resigned my position as Leader of the Machine Faction. It took so long to find a replacement, but I'm no longer with them anymore..."

His decision to leave the Machine Faction had been coming for a long time. After the incident with Serru, he believed that his services as Leader were something he could no longer place before anything else. He had been seeking liberation for a long time, and now that the weight was lifted from his shoulders, he felt free. Now he wanted to seek what it was he knew would complete him.

_Rikku._..

She searched his face, feeling her shock finally sinking in. He stared down at her, knowing that his announcement had caught her off guard. Without a word, she gently pulled her hand away from his, turning around so that her back was to him.

"So why did you come back here...Gippal...?" Rikku asked after some time, her hands folded in front of her. She could hardly believe that he had given up his title; one that she knew had played a large role in his life. After waiting so long for him, here he was. He was standing before her once again, yet her question belied what she already knew he would answer deep in her heart.

He smiled, shutting his eye.

She turned around to face him and she gasped quietly as he pulled her to him in an embrace. Rikku felt her eyes drifting closed as he held her, the feeling of his arms around her again causing tears to sting the back of her eyes. Slowly, she felt her arms come up around him as well.

Gippal smiled, stroking her hair gently. He felt her sob suddenly against him as her arms hugged him tighter.

"I came back...because of you, Rikku," he whispered, feeling his own voice spilling with emotion. He pulled away to look into her face, smiling softly at her. He held out hope that she would forgive him. Even he couldn't forgive himself for how he must have made her feel for leaving her.

She sobbed again, but began to feel her tears subsiding as she began to lose herself under his warm gaze. Gippal grasped her hand in his once more, gathering his thoughts and preparing himself for what he had wanted to say for so long.

"Rikku, I've...fallen for you," he began slowly, feeling his face growing warm as she looked up at him. He continued on, not taking his gaze away from her. "It's taken me so long to finally say it the way I want to, but..." he sighed, finding his words again. "...I'm so in love with you."

The words she had waited for came tumbling from his mouth and her heart soared. She felt her vision growing blurry before a tear finally rolled down her cheek. "Gippal..."

He raised a trembling hand up to wipe her tears away. "You've saved me from my past..." Gippal whispered, leaning in to pull her in his arms again. He had his eye closed, simply enjoying this moment they had together. "...I want you to be my future."

She could no longer control her tears at that point and she whispered against his chest, her heart finally feeling whole. "I feel the same way," she choked out, voice cracking with joy. "Gippal...I've been waiting all my life, and now you're here..."

Looking up at him through her tears, she saw a tear slide down from his eye as well.

"So are you," he smiled, the moonlight shining down on them both. "...So are you, Rikku..."

The sky suddenly exploded and they both looked up, seeing the first bright flashes of light. The colors spiraled into each other, first yellow, then green, then a brilliant rain of white shooting stars as the fireworks flew through the sky. Behind them, shouts of joy erupted from the Luca Stadium as the final buzzer rang in the air.

Gippal looked down at Rikku with a smile, seeing the fireworks' shining colors splashing across her face. She turned her gaze towards him and returned his smile. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

He smiled as well, leaning down towards her. She felt her eyes fluttering closed as his soft lips brushed gently against hers. The colors continued to sail across the sky, the lights exploding one after the other.

When he pulled away, he was smiling at her, the lights bursting all around them. "Yes, it is," he whispered.

And with that, they were complete for the first time. The emptiness they had battled within themselves had brought them to each other in this single moment. Their souls spiraled together; creating wholeness that glistened with the love they had been searching for.

At last, they had found it.


End file.
